U.S. always adheres to 'America First', and Taiwan will not be an exception: Taiwan Affairs Office

Regarding recent military collusion between the U.S. and the Taiwan island, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, slammed the U.S. on Wednesday saying that they will always prioritize their own interests, and Taiwan will not be an exception, calling Taiwan island "a pawn will eventually be sacrificed". 

Over recent days the U.S. has continuously hyped up the enhancement of Taiwan's so-called defense capabilities and reserve forces. On Friday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services passed a bill on national defense policy and budget for the next fiscal year that will include provisions calling for military cooperation with the island. 

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, in turn, has recently introduced measures including the "3+1 plan" for male university students to serve in the military for one year during their four years in college, as well as lowering the requirements for individuals from China's Hong Kong and Macao to serve the armed forces.

Responding to the military collusion, Zhu said at that the current tension in the Taiwan Straits is primarily instigated by anti-China forces in the U.S. and pro-independence factions on the island. While some U.S. politicians claim to desire peace and stability in the region, they are actually accelerating the militarization of Taiwan and exacerbating the tension. While for the DPP authorities, they assert that "war is not an option for Taiwan," but meanwhile intensifying reliance on external forces to pursue independence through military means.

Zhu cited a number of past examples. In July 2022, U.S. politicians proposed that "Taiwan's conscription should be extended by at least one year to ensure combat readiness." By December, the DPP announced the extension of mandatory military service for conscripts to one year. 

In December 2022, the U.S. passed the national defense authorization act for fiscal 2023 with the proposal to "ensure Taiwan's comprehensive defense mobilization." In February this year, the DPP followed up on the plan by amending the preparation act for comprehensive defense mobilization.

In December 2022, the U.S. expressed its intention to establish a regional emergency response reserve depot for Taiwan, and in March 2023, the DPP confirmed that they were in talks with the U.S. to convert the East Asia stockpile to the island.

These "coincidences" are evident proof that with the DPP betraying the interests and future of the Taiwan people, and that the U.S. is accelerating the transformation of Taiwan into a powder keg, Zhu said. The young people of Taiwan are being used as cannon fodder, sacrificial pawns and victims of the DPP's appeasement to the U.S..

The U.S. has always prioritized "America First," and Taiwan will not be an exception, Zhu said, and the chess piece will eventually become a necessary sacrifice for Washington. 

The spokesperson urged the U.S. to cease military contact with Taiwan, halt arms sales and refrain from engaging in actions that harm and undermine the region. She also urged the DPP authorities to abandon their illusion of relying on external forces for independence and to cease their acts of selling out and bringing troubles to the island.

The U.S. government has made clear its commitment on the Taiwan question on numerous occasions, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated it during his recent visit to China, said Zhu when commenting on Blinken's remarks that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence." 

"Taiwan independence" is a dead end, Zhu said, warning DPP authorities that collaborating with external forces to provoke and pursue independence and fabricating lies about "international support" cannot deceive the people of Taiwan.