BEIJING, February 10. /TASS/. China has warned Taiwan independence movement forces against trying to hit mainland China with US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.
"Bearing in mind the actual strength of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the armed forces of supporters of the so-called Taiwan independence movement will face complete extermination should they dare to provoke hostilities," Chinese defense ministry spokesman Jiang Bin stated on the ministry’s WeChat page, commenting on the risk of a potential "pre-emptive" strike by Taipei on the Chinese military with the use of HIMARS systems.
The spokesman slammed the Taipei administration’s attempts to isolate the island from mainland China by means of deploying weapons and speculations about "pre-emptive strikes" as "absurd and arrogant."
Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island. Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed before the Communists took over the mainland. According to China’s official position, which is supported by most countries, including Russia, the Island of Taiwan is one of China’s provinces.
While formally recognizing the One China policy, the United States continues maintaining dialogue with the Taipei administration and supplying weapons to the island.