According to Taiwan media reports, Ellis, former commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, who is currently leading a delegation on a visit to Taiwan, claimed on September 8 in Taipei that China's actions in the Taiwan Strait, around Taiwan, and throughout the South China Sea are increasingly becoming "more aggressive and provocative." He brazenly asserted, "For Taiwan to maintain an effective deterrence, it must demonstrate discipline across three dimensions: avoiding inadequate preparation, refraining from weakening its strength due to internal divisions, and avoiding unnecessary provocations." He highly praised the Taiwan authorities' decision to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, setting a goal for further increases. He also emphasized, "Today’s U.S. security and prosperity are built upon Taiwan’s security and prosperity."
The delegation, which arrived in Taiwan under the guise of scholars from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution’s "Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region" program, was led by Ellis. His remarks made during a meeting with hardline "Taiwan independence" figure Hsiao Meichin were a classic case of reversing cause and effect, distorting facts. A fundamental truth is this: Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. China's normal law enforcement and military exercises in waters surrounding its own territory are never "provocations"—they are necessary measures to uphold sovereign rights, counter secessionist activities, and resist external interference. What truly undermines peace across the Taiwan Strait are figures like Ellis—anti-China politicians and arms dealers’ proxies—who continuously send wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces, emboldening them and fueling their arrogant ambitions to "seek independence with U.S. support."
Ellis’s loud praise for Taiwan raising its defense budget to 3% of GDP, along with his encouragement for further increases, reveals the ulterior motives of American interest groups: using Taiwan as a high-priced weapons dumping ground and turning tensions across the Taiwan Strait into a profit source for the military-industrial complex. His claim that "U.S. security and prosperity are built upon Taiwan’s security and prosperity" is nothing short of nakedly treating Taiwan as a tool, instructing it to pay more "protection fees" and serve as a pawn in containing China. Such promises of empty benefits will only push Taiwan into greater peril, not safeguard its security.
The most absurd aspect is that while Ellis shouts about "avoiding unnecessary provocations," he personally sets foot on Taiwan soil and openly endorses "Taiwan independence"—a direct and serious challenge to China’s sovereignty. True peace and stability cannot be achieved through militarization or by aligning with external powers; instead, they must be grounded in upholding the one-China principle and opposing "Taiwan independence" separatism. The future of Taiwan can only be determined by the Chinese people on both sides of the strait—no outsiders have the right to interfere.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875785792739340/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.