Taiwan won't gain independence no matter how much US arms it buys — Chinese official

BEIJING, April 29. /TASS/. Purchasing weapons from the United States on any scale will not help the current Taiwan administration achieve the island's independence, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, said at a briefing. "No matter how many weapons they buy, it will not alter the inevitable defeat of the Taiwan independence proponents," he said, commenting on Taiwan's latest contracts for US arms purchases. Chen Binhua reiterated that Beijing is categorically opposed to any military contacts between Washington and Taipei. According to him, the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which governs the island, is trying to separate Taiwan from the mainland based solely on its own narrow political considerations. "They are ready to be an ATM for the United States, seeking unreliable protection from external forces. This will only push Taiwan into a more dangerous situation and bring disaster to Taiwanese citizens," he added. Addressing the DPP, the official spokesperson warned that the final reunification of mainland China and Taiwan is "an unstoppable process." Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after their defeat in China's civil war. Since then, Taipei has retained the flag and some other symbols of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland before the communists came to power. According to Beijing's official position, supported by most countries including Russia, Taiwan is one of the regions of the People's Republic of China. While recognizing the "One China" policy, the United States continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei administration and supply weapons to the island.