On June 17, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office held a regular press conference.

A reporter inquired about media reports indicating that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan have allocated a defense budget for 2026 approaching 950 billion New Taiwan dollars, representing an approximate threefold increase compared to the initial period of the DPP's administration in 2016.

Public opinion on the island has criticized this as squandering funds that should have been used to improve people's livelihoods on meaningless military equipment.

In response, spokesperson Chen Binhua stated that since coming to power, the DPP authorities have obstinately adhered to a separatist stance for "Taiwan independence," persistently colluding with external forces to engage in provocative acts aimed at seeking independence.

For the sake of the party's political self-interest, they have intensified their squandering of the hard-earned money of the Taiwanese people, willingly paying "protection money" to external forces and racing down the dangerous path of militarism.

Chen Binhua emphasized that "Taiwan independence" is fundamentally incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and that "protection money" cannot buy genuine security.

He warned that seeking independence through military means will only lead Taiwan step by step into an abyss of disaster, turning the people of Taiwan into cannon fodder for the "Taiwan independence" agenda.

Chen Binhua further stated that Taiwan's future, the safety and security of Taiwanese compatriots, and their well-being are always tied to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and the unification of the motherland.

Only by opposing "Taiwan independence" separatism can peace and tranquility be maintained in the Taiwan Strait; only by achieving the complete reunification of the motherland can Taiwan enjoy lasting peace and stability.