CHINA has sent out a chilling warning vowing to "crush" any attempt from Taiwan to break away from the "motherland".
Defence chief Dong Jun slammed "dangerous separatists" in Taiwan before declaring that his military is ready to "forcefully" engage in war just a week after the latest terrifying Chinese invasion drills.
Sunday's fiery speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue saw Dong savagely swipe at their neighbours, telling a group of international intelligence officers: "They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history."
It comes as the newly elected president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, has been accused of trying to gain independence by erasing Taiwan's Chinese identity, alleged Dong.
China has lurked around Taiwan for decades now with threats of an invasion ramping up in recent months to seemingly keep them under their tyrant's spell.
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Beijing considers the self-governing island its own domain and has vowed to take Taiwan by force if need be.
A chilling message was sent to Taiwan’s government in May saying they were heading towards "a perilous situation of war and danger".
Whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and suffer his own destruction
Dong Jun
Dong has promised the self-ruling island would never gain independence.
He continued the fear-mongering by labelling the Chinese People's Liberation Army as an "indestructible and powerful force".
He said: "The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has always been an indestructible and powerful force in defence of the unification of the motherland.
"It will act resolutely and forcefully at all times to curb the independence of Taiwan and to ensure that it never succeeds in its attempts.
“Whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and suffer his own destruction.”
It comes as Beijing launched worrying military drills surrounding Taiwan’s isolated territory on Thursday 23, and Friday 24, May.
Dozens of warplanes filled the skies above Taiwan on the Thursday as an armada stormed towards its shores in a WW3-style mock invasion.
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The unprecedented move was viewed as “a strong punishment for separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces”.
The threatening advancements continued for over 24 hours with another 27 warships and 62 warplanes seen completely blockading the island deep into Friday.
This is purely playing with fire, and those who play with fire will surely get themselves burnt
Wu Qian
Drills took place from all sides of the island including several other Taipei-controlled areas including Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin as part of the "Joint Sword 2024A" exercises.
Taiwan condemned the military drills as "irrational provocations".
It quickly mobilised its naval, air and ground forces to "defend the island's sovereignty," the defence ministry said.
The defiant island scrambled jets and even placed missile units on high alert.
Just days before the planned operations, Taiwan swore in a new president Lai Ching-te.
Beijing detests Lai as a "troublemaker separatist".
Beijing's defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a statement: “Since taking office, the leader of the Taiwan region has seriously challenged the one-China principle.
“Pushing our compatriots in Taiwan into a perilous situation of war and danger.
"This is purely playing with fire, and those who play with fire will surely get themselves burnt."
His daunting statement ended with the spokesperson announcing China will not stop the threats towards their neighbours until "the complete reunification of the motherland is achieved".
Taiwan's foreign minister warned on Sunday once again that his nation was preparing for war as China was stockpiling weapons for an invasion.
Analysts have long feared Xi Jinping is waiting for the right moment to lurch across the Taiwan strait and submit the small island nation to the will of the People’s Republic.
He promised to take it by force if necessary.
Taiwan insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949.
Self-ruled Taiwan is separated by a narrow 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait from China, which has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control.
For years now, the world has watched anxiously as China ramped up its military drills and menacing provocations towards Taiwan and the US responded by increasing commitments to its faraway ally.
China declared earlier this year that they will never give up their claim to the island, while the said it would "never back down" on the issue.
In Xi’s chilling New Year address he stated that Taiwan’s “reunification” with the “motherland” is a “historical inevitability”.
Observers believe Beijing may try to "strangle" the island using a blockade - while others suggest it will launch a large-scale military landing on Taiwan's "red beaches".
Taiwan is feared to be a major flashpoint between Washington and Beijing - with a potential invasion forcing the US to abandon the island or face a full-scale war with China that could spiral into WW3.
