The Chinese ambassador to France commented Wednesday that China plans to subject the Taiwanese to “reeducation” in the event it successfully takes over the self-governing island, French outlet BFM TV reported.

“After reunification, we will do reeducation,” Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye said in an interview with BFM TV, a statement reminiscent of the so-called reeducation efforts underway in China’s Xinjiang province. China is currently staging its largest military exercises in at least six areas surrounding Taiwan sparked by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit, exercises it claims are a rehearsal for a future “reunification” effort.

“The reunification of our land is our mission. … If Mrs. Tsai Ing-Wen doesn’t back down, then the Chinese government and people will not back down either,” Shaye said, according to France 24.

“La réunification de la patrie, c’est notre mission […] si Mme Tsai Ing-wen [la présidente de #Taiwan, ndlr] ne recule pas alors le gouvernement et le peuple chinois ne reculeront pas non plus”, affirme Lu Shaye, ambassadeur de #Chine en #France , au micro de @Claire_BO pic.twitter.com/MHTysh6blL

— FRANCE 24 Français (@France24_fr) August 3, 2022

“Reeducation” suggests China could subject the Taiwanese to the same treatment the Uighur minority group receives. The U.S. declared China a perpetrator of genocide in 2021 for its human rights abuses in the Xiniang province, including forced labor, organ harvesting and sterilization committed against millions of Uighur Muslims at alleged reeducationcamps.

International law and human rights experts said China intends to “destroy” the Uighur population.

Shaye told France 24 in January that while China hoped for the “peaceful reunification” of Taiwan, it “had not ruled out the use of force.” The ambassador singled out “separatists” and “foreign forces” as particular targets of any military operation.

Taiwan’s National Army heightened its alert level and began conducting drills in response to the Chinese army firing near Taiwan, The Guardian reported.

China views Taiwan as a separatist region. While the island is internationally recognized as part of China, per the One China policy, many governments, including the U.S., have independent relationships with the democratic Taiwanese government.

“To achieve China’s full reunification is the shared aspiration and sacred duty of all Chinese people. … No country, force or individual shall misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Wednesday.

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S., the Chinese foreign ministry and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

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