The US is playing with fire again at year-end as US President Biden signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023(FY2023NDAA) on December 24, Beijing time, which includes tons of untrue content smearing and attacking China and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
2022年收尾之际，美方再次玩起了“火”。北京时间 24日，美国总统拜登将“2023财年国防授权法案”（NDAA）签署成法。该法案包含大量抹黑攻击中方的内容，更向“台独”分裂势力发出严重错误信号。
As a domestic law, the FY2023NDAA should have been focused on America's domestic affairs, yet Washington has set it above international law to hype up the "China threat" regardless of facts and blatantly interfered in China's internal affairs. In particular, the document is pointing fingers at the Taiwan question, claiming it will provide US$10 billion of military assistance and US$2 billion military loans to the region in the next five years, and demanding accelerated arms sales to the island. This is equivalent to handing weapons to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and stirring confrontation and pouring fuel on the flames across the Taiwan Straits, which is full proof that the US is the saboteur of peace and stability and the culprit of security risks in the region.
所谓2023NDAA是美国国内法，说的本该是美国国内的事情。但它却凌驾于国际法之上，不顾事实渲染“中国威胁”，公然干涉中国内政。特别是法案对台湾问题说三道四，声称美国政府5年内向中国台湾地区提供100亿美元“军事援助”和20亿美元“军事贷款”、要求加速对台军售等，无疑是给“台独”分裂势力“递刀子”“送枪炮”，鼓动两岸对抗，在台海拱火浇油，坐实了美方是台海和平稳定破坏者、台海安全风险制造者。
The Shanghai Communiqué of 1972, the China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations of 1978, and the August 17 Communiqué of 1982 all stated clearly that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China. The August 17 Communiqué of 1982 set definite and unequivocal terms on America’s arms sales to the Taiwan region: the United States Government states that it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution. However, the US has not abided by this agreement but has gone the opposite way.
从1972年“中美上海公报”，到1978年“中美建交公报”，再到1982 年“八一七公报”，白纸黑字写得清清楚楚：世界上只有一个中国，台湾是中国的一部分，中华人民共和国政府是中国的唯一合法政府。其中“八一七公报”就美对台军售作出明确规定，美方承诺不寻求执行一项长期向台湾出售武器的政策，将逐步减少售台武器，并经过一段时间后最终解决这一问题。然而，美方此后并没有遵守这一约定，反而变本加厉。
Half a month ago, the Biden administration announced its 7th round of arms sales to Taiwan island since it came into power two years ago, and the FY2023NDAA also vowed to increase military assistance to the island, both of which seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués and grossly breach America's political commitment to the Chinese side. They have laid bare how eager and impatient certain American forces are to fish in troubled waters by stirring up trouble in the Taiwan Straits, emboldening the island and containing China. People in Taiwan pointed out the fact that America selling arms to Taiwan is by no means to protect the island’s interests, but to use it as a milch cow and a chess piece, which will push the islanders into great misery.
就在半个月前，拜登政府公布了上台两年来的第7次对台军售。2023NDAA也包含了增加对台军援等负面内容。这些都严重违反一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报规定，严重违背美方对中方所作的政治承诺，将美方一些势力唯恐台海不乱、挺台遏华、借机渔利的多重图谋暴露无遗。岛内有舆论指出，美国对台军售根本不是为了维护台湾的利益，而是把台湾当成长期提款机与美国棋子，将把台湾民众推向生灵涂炭的境地。
At the same time, the US has made no secret of its duplicity on the Taiwan question – asking for dialogue on the one hand and practicing containment on the other; blabbering about cooperation while stabbing China in the back. During the meeting between Chinese and American presidents in Bali last month, the Chinese side reiterated that the Taiwan question is at the very core of its core interests, the bedrock of China-US political relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. In response, Biden reaffirmed that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. He even added that the American side doesn't support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", and has no intention to "decouple" from China or obstruct its economic growth or curb its development.
与此同时，美方在台湾问题上的所作所为，尽显“一边要对话，一边搞遏制”、“一边谈合作，一边捅刀子”的对华两面派做法。在上个月举行的中美元首巴厘岛会晤中，中方明确台湾问题是中国核心利益中的核心，是中美关系政治基础中的基础，是中美关系第一条不可逾越的红线。拜登总统重申了“四不一无意”立场，并且加入了美方不支持“两个中国”“一中一台”、无意寻求同中国“脱钩”、无意阻挠中国经济发展、无意围堵中国的表态。
These words are still lingering by the ear, but the US has already gone back on them and taken the opposite path, casting political credibility into the wind. Saying one thing and doing another isn’t something we expect from a major country. The top priority for China and the US now is to translate what’s agreed between the two heads of state in Bali into practical policies and concrete actions, so as to pave the way for steadying and developing bilateral relations in the time to come.
言犹在耳，美方的行动却背道而驰，把政治信用扔出了十万八千里。这样说一套做一套不是一个大国应有的做派。对于中美来说，当务之急是把两国元首巴厘岛共识转化为实际政策和具体行动，这也是下阶段稳定和发展中美关系的主轴主线。
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people and brooks no external interference. On December 25, the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted the joint combat-readiness security patrol and joint firepower striking exercise involving troops of multiple services and arms in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan Island as a resolute response to the escalated collusion between and provocation by the US and the island. The American side should not act on the China-related articles in its latest act, nor should it slide further down the wrong and dangerous path. Instead, it must come back to truly respect the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, otherwise, its outrageous moves will only backfire sooner.
台湾是中国的台湾，解决台湾问题是中国人自己的事，不容任何外来干涉。12月25日，中国人民解放军东部战区位台岛周边海空域组织诸军兵种联合战备警巡和联合火力打击演练。这是针对当前美台升级勾连挑衅的坚决回应。美方不得实施有关法案中的涉华消极条款，不要在错误和危险道路上越走越远，应当回到一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报上来。倘若一意孤行，引火烧身只会加速到来。
Editor's note: Originally published on news.cri.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
