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Separatists in the Taiwan region believe that conflict with the Chinese mainland would work in their favor. They have been doing their best to use the current tension between the United States and China to extract a solid military commitment from Washington.

So far, President Joe Biden is offering strong, but vague language suggesting the U.S. is willing to use force to prevent the reunification of the Taiwan region with Chinese mainland — even as his administration denies the comments. The U.S., it seems, wants to draw the Chinese government into a battle with its own people in order to undermine China's unity at home and credibility abroad.

The U.S. is primarily interested in weakening China and slowing its rise. Like Taiwan's separatist leaders, the last thing the U.S. cares about is the safety, well-being or future prosperity of the people living on the island of Taiwan. The people living on the island are pawns in America's larger power games, as the U.S. desperately tries to retain global hegemony and control the rules of the world economy.

China, however, will not be easily manipulated into a shooting war that would surely defeat Taiwan separatists, but could be spun to give the appearance that China is subjugating its own people. China has many options to deal with internal division. Military action is far from China's only tool to deal with separatists who seek to betray the motherland and split the country.

As demonstrated in Hong Kong, legal action is often enough to stop foreign-backed separatists. Spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, said on November 5, that people who support "Taiwan independence" will be criminally liable for life. Zhu specifically named Su Tseng-chang, You Si-kun and Joseph Wum who are banned from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative regions. Zhu noted organizations related to these three will be restricted from cooperating with organizations and individuals on the mainland, and enterprises related to the three and their financial backers will not be allowed to make profits on the mainland.

These three politicians are trying to pit Chinese compatriots against each other for personal partisan gain, so it is only natural and correct that their selfish actions are punished. Over the past two centuries, it is shameful to say, many selfish politicians have unfortunately cooperated with colonial forces for personal gain, at the expense of the nation. These traitors turned their backs on their own people and helped keep China weak and divided.

History will not be kind to them. Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and her crew of separatist politicians are encouraging the U.S. to establish a military base on the island. They are willing to sacrifice the security of their compatriots on both sides of the Straits in order to achieve their narrow political goals.

However, fighters and warships are no match for the force of history, as well as the ties of blood and culture that connect compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Profound historical, economic and cultural ties guarantee Taiwan will always remain part of China.

The die-hard separatists in Taiwan should remember what could happen before traveling further down the road of betraying their motherland. China is an ancient civilization, and its people have a very long memory, especial when it comes to traitors. Taiwan separatists encourage the centuries-old divide-and-conquer tactics of colonial powers who still aim to keep China weak. Those who forget their ancestors, betray the motherland and split the country will never end up well and will be spurned by the people and judged by history.

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