Overview
- At the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said efforts to “separate” Taiwan would cross China’s red lines and could trigger direct conflict with the United States.
- He asserted Taiwan is part of China, called reunification “historic and irreversible,” and declared the island “has never been a country.”
- Beijing condemned recent U.S. arms sales to Taipei as sending “wrong signals” that encourage independence and heighten risk in the Taiwan Strait.
- China intensified friction with Japan after politician Sanae Takaichi voiced support for Taiwan, as Wang warned against a revival of Japanese militarism in stark terms.
- The sharper tone comes as analysts emphasize broader security and economic stakes, with some reports noting speculation about a possible Xi–Trump meeting within a wider U.S.–China rivalry.