Eighteen Chinese aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets, were deployed dangerously close to the sensitive midline of the Taiwan Strait on September 18, in response to the United States Undersecretary of State Keith Krach’s visit to Taiwan. Two bombers from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force escorted 16 fighter jets to hold combat exercises in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. “Those who play with fire are bound to get burned,” said Col. Ren Guoqiang of China’s Defense Ministry.

China is forcefully opposed to the diplomatic meetings held between the U.S. and Taiwan. The Global Times, a Chinese paper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, wrote that the “collusion” between the two nations could lead to “uncertainties in the entire region.”

Taiwan has been doing its best to bolster its defensive capabilities. President Tsai Ing-wen wants to increase the defense budget by 10 percent. Days before the diplomatic visit, White House officials announced that the U.S. and Taiwan would soon agree to a $7 billion arms deal, which would see the U.S. supply Taiwan with drones, fighter jets, cruise missiles and ground control stations.

This deal likely rankled Beijing, as China has often reiterated its desire to reclaim the “renegade province” of Taiwan.

It is not uncommon for China to hold air drills near or around Taiwanese air space. But never before have these exercises involved so many Chinese aircraft approaching from multiple directions. According to Prof. Drew Thompson of the National University of Singapore, the flights were intended to test Taiwan’s ability to “simultaneously track multiple” offensive forays.

The Global Times went on to write that these drills were no longer mere demonstrations of power, but deliberately planned invasive strategies with real-life application (emphasis added):

Every time a high-ranking U.S. official visits Taiwan, the pla [People’s Liberation Army] jets should be one step closer to the island. If the U.S. secretary of state or secretary of defense comes to Taiwan, the pla should fly its aircraft over the island and conduct exercises above it. The missiles we test should also fly over Taiwan, even its “Presidential Office Building.” If Taiwan authorities continue to act aggressively, such scenarios will definitely come true.

China wants to reclaim Taiwan. It is determined to do so by any means. In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping said it himself: “We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option to use all necessary measures.”

Before, the threat of American intervention would have been enough to dissuade China from its designs on Taiwan. Now, however, China is readily rehearsing its invasion of Taiwan with American officials in Taiwan.

“Once the People’s Liberation Army dispatches troops to reunify the island of Taiwan,” the Global Times wrote, “the military equipment from the U.S. will be nothing but decorations. … Promoting relations with the U.S. is nothing but a way to quench its thirst by drinking poison.”

It went on to warn that the pla gained crucial data on Taiwan’s defense system in the rehearsals for the invasion of Taiwan.

The reality is that Taiwan would not be able to withstand an invasion by China. America’s protective stance over Taiwan, which so often has been a deterrent, now seems to be a motivator of Chinese aggression. The question therefore is whether or not the U.S. would be willing to engage in a military confrontation with China over the island.

Bible prophecy answers this question emphatically. In Leviticus 26, God outlines the parameters of His covenant with Israel, primarily the United States and Britain today. (For proof of this fact, request our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, by Herbert W. Armstrong.) God promises blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

God tells America in this end time that He “will break the pride of your power … and your strength shall be spent in vain” because of the nation’s sins (verses 19-20). Today, sin and lawlessness are rampant in the U.S. As a consequence, God has broken the pride of America’s power.

The U.S. might indeed make more deals with Taiwan, supplying it with equipment. It might even make condemnatory statements of China’s intentions. But even if America were to be involved in a military campaign in defense of Taiwan, the Bible shows that “America has won its last war.” This is why Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in his article “Taiwan Betrayal” that Taiwan is “destined to become a part of mainland China.”

“These 21 million people [now 23 million] are going to be forced into the Chinese mold,” he wrote, “and it is going to happen for one reason: because of a pitifully weak-willed America.”

Once conquered, Taiwan will be part of a prophesied Asiatic military alliance that will shape global events in a powerful way. To fully understand this alliance and how Taiwan will be a part of it, request our free booklet Russia and China in Prophecy.