TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan scrambled jets and put missile, naval and land forces on alert Thursday in response to Chinese military drills around the self-ruled island. new president He took office this week.
China’s military said the two-day drills around Taiwan were a punishment for separatist forces seeking independence. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China, and the People’s Liberation Army sends naval ships and military aircraft to the Taiwan Strait and other areas around the island on an almost daily basis in an attempt to weaken Taiwan’s defenses and intimidate Taiwanese people, who are staunchly in support of de facto independence.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said China’s “unreasonable provocative actions threaten regional peace and stability” and that while Taiwan does not seek conflict, “we will not avoid it”.
“This pretext for conducting military exercises not only does not contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also shows Taiwan’s underlying hegemonic character,” the ministry said in a statement.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te called out the Chinese government in his inaugural address on Monday: stop military threats He vowed to “neither submit nor provoke” the Communist Party leadership in mainland China.
“Even in the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to uphold the values of freedom and democracy,” Lai told sailors and senior security officials on Thursday during a tour of the naval base in Taoyuan, just south of the capital, Taipei.
Although he did not directly address China’s moves, he said the international community is concerned about Taiwan’s security, likely due to Taiwan’s important role in the supply chain for cutting-edge computer chips and its supply chain to Asia. It is believed that this reflects the country’s important role as a democratic bulwark against China’s efforts to assert control over the country. -Pacific.
Lai has said he seeks dialogue with Beijing while preserving the status quo on Taiwan and avoiding a conflict that could embroil other regional partners such as the United States, Taiwan’s main ally, as well as Japan and Australia.
The main opposition Kuomintang, generally seen as pro-China, also condemned Beijing’s actions.
The Kuomintang (KMT) called on “the other side (of the Taiwan Strait) to exercise restraint, stop unnecessary actions, avoid conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and continue to cherish the peace and development achievements of both sides.”
The tensions on Thursday came amid protests outside Taiwan’s parliament against attempts by the KMT and its allies to use their slim majority to ram through bills that could affect the military budget, key judicial appointments and more.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command said the land, sea and air exercises around Taiwan are aimed at testing the PLA forces’ naval and air capabilities and joint strike capabilities to attack targets and gain control of the battlefield. He said on his official Weibo account.
“This is a strong punishment for separatist forces seeking ‘independence’ and a serious warning to outside forces that interfere and provoke,” the statement said.
The People’s Liberation Army also released a map of the planned training area, which includes five locations around Taiwan, as well as the outlying islands of Matsu and Kinmen, which are closer to the Chinese mainland than Taiwan.
The China Coast Guard also said in a statement that it had organized a fleet to conduct law enforcement training near two islands close to the Taiwan-administered island group of Kinmen and Matsu, just off the Chinese coast.
China has described the drills as punitive. Taiwan election resultsAlthough the pro-China Nationalist Party held a one-seat majority in parliament, the Democratic Progressive Party has been running the island’s government for more than a decade.
Speaking in Australia, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Stephen Skrenka, deputy commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, called on countries in the Asia-Pacific region to condemn China’s military exercises.
“It’s no wonder that China feels compelled to make some kind of statement whenever there is an action that highlights Taiwan in the international community,” Skulena said, referring to Monday’s presidential inauguration ceremony, which took place in Australia’s capital Canberra. He spoke at the National Press Club.
“Just because such acts are expected does not mean they should not be condemned, but they need to be condemned publicly. It needs to come from us, but I believe it also needs to come from the countries in the region. It is one thing for the United States to condemn the Chinese, but I believe it has a much stronger effect when it comes from countries within the region,” Skrenka added.
Speaking during his visit to the United States, Japan’s top envoy said that Japan and Taiwan share values and principles such as freedom, democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, where she said, “(Taiwan) is an extremely important partner and a valued friend with whom we have close economic ties and people-to-people exchanges.”
She said the two ministers discussed Taiwan and the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
___
Associated Press writers Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
