Pelosi’s likely Taiwan plans cast shadow over PLA’s 95th year celebrations

The ultimate goal of the 2-million-strong Chinese army is ‘liberating Taiwan’ if Beijing’s ‘peaceful reunification’ aim fails

‘We stand ready to fight’, social media post by PLA theatre command overseeing Taiwan says

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is currently touring Asia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:30pm, 1 Aug 2022Updated: 11:34pm, 1 Aug 2022

The Chinese military theatre command that oversees Taiwan has warned that they are ready to fight, as tensions run high amid speculation over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi possibly visiting the island.

The warning on Monday came as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) celebrated the 95th anniversary of its founding, the festivities overshadowed by the likely Taiwan trip by Pelosi, who is currently touring the Asian region.

“We stand ready to fight. We will bury all enemies,” the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command posted on its Weibo social media account, shortly after Taiwanese media reported that Pelosi could visit as early as Tuesday night.

Nancy Pelosi in Singapore on Monday. Photo: AFP

The idea that she might visit the island, which Beijing views as breakaway territory, has hit a nerve with what is the world’s largest military force. The 2-million-strong PLA has been preparing for decades for its ultimate goal – “liberating Taiwan” if Beijing’s aim of “peaceful reunification” fails.

On Sunday, Pelosi’s office announced she had set out on her anticipated trip to Asia, with stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. There was no mention of a visit to Taiwan, but the carefully worded statement did not rule out that possibility either.

“The possibility of Pelosi visiting Taiwan shows the stand-off between Beijing and Washington has escalated, which demands that the PLA push forward with military reforms to become a real modern fighting force,” Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province under its one-China principle, to be reunited by force if necessary, and warns the world against any official interaction with it.