Drills justified as response to arms sales to Taiwan

The United States is at it again.

There is no question that the US continues to say one thing but do another when it comes to China's Taiwan. Government officials acknowledge that Taiwan is part of China, indicating that there is no reason to revisit the "one-China principle". Yet the words those officials use and the actions they endorse throw that statement into doubt.

Perhaps the most obvious example is maintaining a lust to arm the island. The most recent example of that took place in mid-December, when Washington authorized an $11.1 billion deal to send rocket systems, howitzers, missiles, drones and more to Taiwan. These weapons are designed to put the military using them in an aggressive, offensive posture.

In fact, almost every year, the US sells billions of dollars in arms to Taiwan. To the surprise of no one, one US politician after another reads from the same playbook when they insist that China ought not be upset at these weapons agreements.

There is a major problem associated with these statements: Taiwan is not an independent nation, despite the rhetorical niceties emanating from Washington. Why is this important? The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft has made clear that because Taiwan is not an independent nation, specific activities that the US might want to undertake are inconsistent with domestic and international law.

Taiwan's non-nation status also means that significant challenges face efforts to prove how it can be considered a US strategic interest. Moreover, one of the Quincy Institute's scholars has clearly noted that the arguments that suggest Taiwan matters to the US "rest on very weak foundations, indicating the need for a basic reassessment of US' Taiwan policy and its eventual reconfiguration".

Related to this, US Senator Rand Paul has warned that "aggressive US policies designed for domestic audiences without regard for international ones could inadvertently signal to China that it has no choice but to prepare for war and strike when conditions are most advantageous".

Unfortunately, some officials in Washington have hinted increasingly in recent years that the US would fight alongside Taiwan in any military conflict that would take place on the island. They and others should remember that US public opinion on fighting for Taiwan is sharply divided.

Meanwhile, every year, the US — typically joined by some allies such as Japan and the Philippines — conducts naval and military exercises in international waters near Taiwan. And one US military official after another reads from the same playbook while claiming that Beijing ought not be upset at these exercises because they pose no direct threat to the mainland.

The global community should be thankful that so far no single action, even if accidental in nature, has occurred that could lead to a confrontation between China and the US and its allies.

Chinese officials have often said they will defend the homeland against any dangerous force. And now, in direct response to the reckless $11.1 billion arms deal, China has held its own exercises in international waters. Dubbed "Justice Mission 2025", the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command exercises included land, sea, air and missile activities.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the theater command, confirmed that there is a clear message associated with the exercises: they warn all separatists in Taiwan, and those from other countries who will offer them support, that "independence" is a dangerous game to play. As such, the exercises provide necessary planning in order to protect China's sovereignty and national unity. Viewed more bluntly, they signal that no one, whether on the island or anywhere around the world, should seek to change facts, which include that Taiwan is a part of China. Associated with this, aiding Taiwan's military is reckless and irresponsible.

Let's remember that when the US conducts its exercises in the South China Sea, it does so thousands of miles from home. It strains credibility to suggest that such activities are necessary to protect the homeland. On the other hand, "Justice Mission 2025" is an important reminder that the Chinese government and the People's Liberation Army understand their critical roles in providing the Chinese people with prosperity and peace.

The Chinese people want a safe and secure world, one in which their country plays a positive role, as they also retain dreams about a positive future. And they do not admire any nation that bullies their country or puts those aspirational dreams in danger.

One should remember the words spoken by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, who roughly 30 years ago asked Colin Powell, then chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "What's the point of having this superb military that you're always talking about if we can't use it?"

Albright was no warmonger, but she most definitely was part of the political elite that saw the use of US military force here, there and everywhere as an American right. Linked to this is the arming of allies, so that they can undertake proxy wars or constantly antagonize their neighbors.

The author is an associate professor of communications at Robert Morris University in the United States.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily or Robert Morris University.