THEO VAN GOGH WATCH: MEMRI TV Clip No. 9587 – Chinese Political Scientist Ilham Li: Taiwan Independence Will Set Off China’s Military Option: China Will Not Be The First To Shoot, Use Nuclear Weapons
Chinese political scientist Ilham Li said in a May 23, 2022 interview on Alghad TV (Egypt) that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and that American military intervention would have “very negative consequences” across the world.
He qualified that China will not fire the first bullet in a war, but that a Taiwanese declaration of independence would spell “the beginning of the military option.”. In addition, he said that China would not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but that it has the options to respond with nuclear weapons if they are used against it.
Ilham Li: “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. And it constitutes the number-one ‘red line’ for China’s central government.
“American military intervention in Taiwan will have very negative consequences. Which will affect not only China, Taiwan, and the U.S. and its allies in Asia and the Pacific, but will constitutes a major occurrence across the world.]
“The Chinese government has repeatedly stated that China has not abandoned the military option to resolve the Taiwan issue. At the same time, however, China will not fire the first bullet to resolve this issue. China adheres to a peaceful solution, but this really depends on the statements by the leaders of Taiwan. A declaration of independence spells the beginning of the military option.
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“The Chinese government has promised not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. China will not be the first to use nuclear weapons in war. However, if nuclear weapons are used against it, China will have the option to use nuclear weapons.”