Chinese General: Military Will ‘Show No Mercy’ on Taiwan Independence and China Stands Ready to Partner With Russia on Security Threats, Military Official Says

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in Beijing on Monday. Zhang told Shoigu that it is a strategic choice in line with the logic of history to develop China-Russia relations that are characterized by… pic.twitter.com/CWgTyHcBEN

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) October 30, 2023

COGwriter

Voice of America reported the following:

Chinese General: Military Will ‘Show No Mercy’ on Taiwan Independence

November 4, 2023

A top Chinese military official has vowed to “show no mercy” toward any move toward Taiwan independence despite turmoil in the top ranks of the country’s armed forces.

“No matter who wants to separate Taiwan from China in any form, the Chinese military will never agree and will show no mercy,” said People’s Liberation Army General Zhang Youxia. Zhang is vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party.

His remarks came at the 10th Xiangshan Forum on Monday in Beijing. More than 1,800 people attended the two-day forum — China’s biggest annual event focused on military diplomacy.

These included 99 official delegations and defense ministers from 19 countries, as well as military chiefs, international organization representatives, experts, scholars and observers, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency. …

As Zhang spoke at the forum, China stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that the Chinese military had sent 43 sorties by various types of military aircraft and seven ships to disrupt Taiwan over the previous 24 hours. …

Brent Sadler, a senior fellow of naval warfare and advanced technology at the Heritage Foundation, and Hunter Kovach, a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation, wrote Monday in The Daily Signal that China’s recent military activities around Taiwan had reached new heights, and that the United States needed to be ready militarily in the region.

“This sustained presence is inherently destabilizing as it enables the Chinese Communist Party’s military, called the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, to ratchet up tensions quickly or worse, without much warning,” they wrote.

“In the meantime, China’s increased military operations also exhaust and condition Taiwan’s military responses for when Xi’s communist regime decides to turn an exercise into a prelude for attack. Increasingly, China is confident about using its military to send strategic messages to the United States.”

Shen Ming-shih, director at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan, said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies event that while there might be multiple opportunities for China to invade Taiwan, the PLA may not be capable of a war if the U.S. is involved.

“I think that China right now is not ready because the gap between the United States and PLA is huge,” he said. “Maybe [in] 10 to 15 years.” https://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-general-military-will-show-no-mercy-on-taiwan-independence/7341367.html

China does have the military ability to take over Taiwan. And it has made it clear that it expects Taiwan to reunify. As far as the USA’s position about this, the reality is that decades ago the USA made promises with the Peoples Republic of China related to its claims over Taiwan.

China has been biding its time, while also planning various ways to get Taiwan to reunify with it.

Notice something from over fouryears ago:

Xi Jinping says Taiwan ‘must and will be’ reunited with China

2 January 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the people of Taiwan to accept it “must and will be” reunited with China.

In a speech marking 40 years since the start of improving ties, he reiterated Beijing’s call for peaceful unification on a one-country-two-systems basis.

However, he also warned that China reserved the right to use force.

While Taiwan is self-governed and de facto independent, it has never formally declared independence from the mainland.

Beijing considers the island to be a breakaway province and Mr Xi’s comments are in line with China’s long-standing policy towards reunification.

But on Wednesday, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said the island would never accept reunification with China under the terms offered by Beijing.

“I want to reiterate that Taiwan will never accept ‘one country, two systems’. The vast majority of Taiwanese public opinion also resolutely opposes ‘one country, two systems’, and this is also the ‘Taiwan consensus’.”

Under the “one country, two systems” formula, Taiwan would have the right to run its own affairs; a similar arrangement is used in Hong Kong. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-46733174

So, will Taiwan become part of the Peoples Republic of China, or at least align with it militarily in the future?

Yes.

For many years, my position has been that Taiwan will end up aligning with China.

Why?

Because of certain biblical prophecies such as the following:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12)

Perhaps it should be mentioned that instead of “kings of the east,” that part of Revelation 16:12 is more literally, “kings of the sunrise”:

12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way might be prepared of the kings of the rising of the sun. (Revelation 16:12, Berean Literal Bible)

12 The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrise. (Revelation 16:12, New Heart English Bible)

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial into the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12, Jubilee Bible 2000)

12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might by made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. (Revelation 16:12, American Standard Version)

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon that great river Euphrates; and dried up the water thereof, that a way might be prepared for the kings from the rising of the sun. (Revelation 16:12, Douay-Rheims Bible)

12 And the sixth messenger did pour out his vial upon the great river, the Euphrates, and dried up was its water, that the way of the kings who are from the rising of the sun may be made ready; (Revelation 16:12, Young’s Literal Translation)

Taiwan is even further east, an earlier ‘sunrise’ location, than China.

Plus, China is clear that it wants Taiwan.

China could decide now to impose a naval blockade or take stronger military steps.

It may figure that the USA does not really want a war with itself and may take steps to takeover Taiwan now.

Or it could wait until after the USA is conquered (Daniel 11:39) when those in Taiwan would be more willing to attempt to make a deal with the PRC–a deal that will make Taiwan formally part of the PRC.

In the future, the Bible shows that massive army will gather. China and Taiwan would be expected to provide troops for the coming 200 million man army the Bible warns will form and be involved with Armageddon:

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed–by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths (Revelation 9:13-18).

China must be involved as only China, and possibly India and others in Asia (which seemingly will also align themselves with Russia against the European Empire per Jeremiah 50:41-42), is capable of fielding a two hundred million man army. Closer ties between the Asians, despite occasional setbacks, will result in the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

So, yes, there will be increased cooperation between Taiwan and China in the future.

Chairman Mao allegedly boasted in the 1960s he could raise up an army of two hundred million men, and according to one source, referenced that prophecy in Revelation.

While Mao is gone, the population of China has risen since, making the raising of such an army even more feasible.

Although Armageddon is at least seven years off, China’s interest in Taiwan, its economic might, and its ‘Silk Road’ project are helping set the stage for it.

Even though it has some hope in the USA, Taiwan will NOT be able to rely on the USA for anything at all, too many years from now, as we are getting closer to the end of the USA and the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22; watch also Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028?).

Despite what its current leaders may say, Taiwan will align with the PRC.

Now, the Voice of America article did not mention increased military cooperation between Russia and China, so I put up the tweet at the beginning of this post to highlight that. Also, here are parts of other reports of the conference from additional sources:

China Stands Ready to Partner With Russia on Security Threats, Military Official Says

China is willing to work with Russia in responding to security threats while jointly “safeguarding global strategic balance and stability,” a senior Chinese military official said at a defense conference in Beijing this week.

Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia made the remark during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum Monday. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-11-01/china-stands-ready-to-partner-with-russia-on-security-threats-military-official-says-102122671.html

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will accept no attempt by any actor to separate Taiwan from China, and will not hold back in its response, Zhang said.

He called the “One China” principle, in which Beijing views Taiwan as part of China, a “consensus of the international community” and warned countries against intentionally provoking others on sensitive and significant issues.

In previous years, the Chinese defense minister delivered the keynote speech at the Xiangshan forum. Zhang, who holds a higher rank within the PLA, stepped in this year following Li’s dismissal.

Zhang also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported. Zhang reportedly said advancements in bilateral military ties were gaining momentum, while Shoigu called for continuous improvements. 10/31/23 https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Defense/U.S.-and-Chinese-defense-officials-meet-at-Beijing-forum

The biblical reality is that Russia and China will work together militarily.

Here is something from by free online book, Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?, discussing the three woes along with Russia and China:

In the last verse of Revelation 8 (verse 13) the word woe is repeated three times and is later connected to three angels and three trumpet blasts which correspond to the blowing of the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th trumpets.

The first woe (5^th trumpet) is described in Revelation 9:1-11. It involves a demonically-led force which causes torment (perhaps involving a plague of germ or chemical warfare) for those not having the seal of God (Revelation 9:4)—thus those of the 144,000 who were sealed in Revelation 7:4 are not tormented by this.

This woe looks to involve at least some of the European King of the North’s military and is consistent with something from Daniel:

⁴⁴But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. (Daniel 11:44)

Looking at this verse, what could be north and east of the European Beast power?

Russia, for one, which is both in Europe and Asia. Daniel suggests that it, and some of its allies, will face some of the fury of the King of the North as part of the first woe.

Despite some erroneous claims, Russia, itself, is NOT the prophesied “King of the North,” but it is prophetically pointed to as the power of “the far north” (cf. Ezekiel 38:6, 39:1-2).

Going on from the first woe comes the second woe:

¹² One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

¹³ Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. ¹⁶ Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. ¹⁷ And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. ¹⁸ By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed — by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

²⁰ But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. ²¹ And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:12-21)

Such a massively large army was not possible to be put together when Jesus had John pen the Book of Revelation in the 1^st century. In the 21^st century, however, it is possible, and that army would be expected to include Chinese, Indian, Russian, and other Asian peoples.

The European Beast empire will not last, but will fear what is coming.

Notice also the following from the Hebrew scriptures:

² … A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.

³ A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. ⁴ Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. ⁵ With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.

⁶ Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. (Joel 2:2-6)

During the second woe, the 200,000,000 man army looks to tie in with Joel 2:2 which discusses some of that army’s expected actions.

Before going further, understand that current projects like China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Europe’s Global Gateway are looking to connect Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in ways that look to be building infrastructure that a 200 million man army would use in order to get to Europe and the Middle East.

Peoples prophetically called Medes are also shown to destroy the final Babylon according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah:

¹ The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…

¹⁷ “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. ¹⁸Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. ¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

¹¹ Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

The fact that there are multiple kings of the Medes indicates that powers involved in this end time confederation represent multiple governments. This would seem to include Russia, Belarus, and likely Crimea, Donbas, and some others in Ukraine, some in Moldova, perhaps some from the nation of Georgia, and some in Iran, etc.

Anciently, “Darius the Mede” (Daniel 5:31) conquered old Babylon—modern “Medes” will help do the same to the end-time daughter of Babylon.

The following passages seem also to apply:

⁸ “Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks. ⁹ For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:8-9)

Those who believe the Bible should leave the midst of end-time Babylon by then. Certainly, the above “north country” includes Russia, but other passages clearly point to others from Asia being involved (Jeremiah 51:27-29).

Notice some of what will happen to the coming European Babylonian Beast power led by a power from the farthest parts of the earth (Russia is the nation that is the farthest east and close to being the farthest north nation):

22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

24 We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor. 25 Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side. 26 O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:22-26)

41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth. 42 They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth. (Jeremiah 50:41-43)

The “great nation” from the “farthest parts of the earth” includes Russia. There are also nations that will be confederate with it. Those would also include China and other nations in Asia, and particularly in the Far East. The “Daughter of Babylon” Jeremiah referred to is not ancient Babylon, but the end-time European power. The “kings … from the ends of the earth” seem to include South Africa and India, which are BRICS nations which have also conducted military drills with Russia and China.[i] Some nations in South America may also be involved as they seem to be part of the “ends of the earth.” Consider that Brazil and Russia already have a variety of military agreements.[ii] When the “daughter of Babylon” is in the process of falling, many will abandon supporting it. Jeremiah 50 is part of the second woe.[iii]

The second woe, according to scripture, ends 3 ½ days after the two witnesses are killed per Revelation 11:7-14. That is quickly followed by the third woe and the blowing of the 7^th trumpet (Revelation 11:14-15).

Jesus returns with this trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16) which is also the last trumpet when Christians rise up (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). While that is comforting for Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:18), this angers the nations (Revelation 11:15-18).

So, the nations that gathered in Armageddon to fight the forces of the Beast, despite issues between them, will unite to fight Jesus, Himself! This is also described in Zechariah 14 and Joel 3.

The third woe releases the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1), with victorious Christians then pictured on the sea of glass (Revelation 15:2).

During the third woe, when God sends corrective punishments, because the non-Christians refused to repent:

⁹ And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:9)

Notice something else that happens during this third woe:

¹² Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. ¹³ And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

¹⁵ “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

¹⁶ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)

Forces from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean would be expected to gather related to ‘Armageddon’ as “the whole world” (Revelation 16:13-16) will be involved.

[i] Maromo J. SA-China-Russia military exercise … IOL, January 22, 2023; Pasricha A. India and China to Take Part in Joint Military Drills with Russia. Voice of America News, August 31, 2022

[ii] Shoigu lauds Brazil as ‘important strategic partner’ for Russia in Latin America. Tass, February 16, 2022

[iii] Lesson 36 – Feast of Trumpets – Why Christ Must Come Again! 58 Lesson Ambassador College Correspondence Course, 1969 revision

Russia and China are also part of the BRICS alliance. Related to the woes, we also put out the following video:

15:09

BRICS and the Woes of Revelation

The BRICS nations consist of Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa. In February of 2023, Russia, China, and South Africa held joint naval drills. In the Fall of 2022, India, Russia, and China held joint military exercises. Brazil also has a military cooperation agreement with Russia. The Book of Revelation uses the term woe three times in chapter 8 verse 13–those woes are then discussed in later chapters. Could the BRICS nations, along with the coming Babylonian European Beast power be involved in all three of the woes? Do the BRICS nations want to push aside the USA dollar? Is one of the woes tied to the rise of a 200,000,000 man army? Is there any connection to the second woe and the two witnesses? Do the woes correspond with the last of the seven trumpets in the Book of Revelation? Is one of the woes tied to Armageddon? Does Jesus return with the seventh trumpet? Will nations not be pleased when Jesus returns? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.