China sparks WW3 fears as Taiwan vows ‘never to bow’ to Beijing in island dispute

TAIWAN’S president has vowed to never bow to China after threats of “World War Three” appeared in a Chinese communist regime controlled newspaper.

Speaking on Taiwan’s national day, Tsai Ing-wen ruled out the idea that the island would agree to be “subordinate” to Beijing, the day after President Xi Xi Jinping insisted the “historical task” of retaking the island must take place.

Taiwan’s defiant stance comes as the Chinese Communist regime’s mouthpiece, , issued a chilling warning to the US if it tried to protect the island.

It warned “once a war breaks out in the Taiwan Straits, those US military personnel will be the first to be eliminated”.

But President Tsai said yesterday her country’s forces are ready to stop any invasion. 

She said: “There should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure

“We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us.”

She added: “The path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.”

Following the address, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence showed off a range of weaponry including missile launchers and armoured vehicles while fighter jets and helicopters soared overhead. 

The show of air power was followed by a group of CM32 tanks, followed later by trucks carrying missile systems.

Last week it emerged Taiwan is developing a missile that can strike back at China should it attack. 

The Yun Feng is able to hit major Chinese cities including — the capital Beijing — and news of its development comes as the island’s President warned China was “playing with fire”.

Taiwan — broke away from China in 1949 — but the Chinese ruling party regards the island as a “renegade state”  and has repeatedly vowed to take it back by force if necessary by 2050.

There should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure

Tsai Ing-wenTaiwan's president

A formal declaration of independence would be the likely trigger.

Any invasion would represent a serious escalation of hostilities and could drag in the US through its pact to defend Taiwan.

Washington’s regional allies such as South Korea, Japan and Australia could also be sucked into a conflict as would Nato forces such as the UK because the US is a member of the alliance. 

Since September of last year, China has flown fighter jets more than 800 times towards Taiwan.

Since last Friday, China has sent a record-breaking number of fighter jets towards international airspace close to Taiwan.