Provocations by Taiwan separatists will usher in their own demise, defense ministry warns

A Chinese mainland defense ministry spokesperson warned on Thursday that the more extremist the provocations by "Taiwan independence" forces are, the faster they will lead themselves to destruction.

At a regular news briefing, Jiang Bin, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said the NT$1.25 trillion ($40 billion) "defense" budget package proposed by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te cannot buy the so-called security. Instead, he warned, it will further drain Taiwan's resources and accelerate the island's slide toward the brink of war.

On Tuesday, Taiwan's legislature, where the Chinese Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party hold a majority, once again blocked the proposed special "defense" budget.

In response, Jiang criticized the Democratic Progressive Party authorities for deceiving the public and squandering the hard-earned money of Taiwan people to enrich foreign arms dealers, while taking advantage of the situation to amass wealth and engage in corruption. Describing these actions as "despicable", he said they have long lost public support.

Addressing reports from Taiwan's security authorities accusing the mainland of conducting "cognitive operations" targeting the island, Jiang condemned the DPP authorities for manipulating the narrative. He said this systematic cognitive deception is designed to shift blame for the DPP's own corruption and incompetence onto the mainland for political self-interest.

Jiang further noted that the Lai administration has long suppressed dissenting voices, pursued "de-Sinicization", and attempted to sever the historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"They have even maligned everyday language, mainland cuisine, dance, and music as 'political infiltration', deliberately escalating cross-Strait confrontation," Jiang added.

He emphasized that the DPP's manipulation of so-called cognitive operations cannot hide their fear of losing public support, nor can it sever the blood ties between people on both sides of the Strait.

"It will only deepen Taiwan people's disapproval and accelerate the Lai administration's political collapse," Jiang said.