With its military maneuvers around Taiwan, which have now lasted five days, China wants to destroy the country’s hopes for independence. At least that’s what the government says. The US, meanwhile, is not overly concerned but is maintaining its military presence in the region.
China has continued its massive military maneuvers off the coast of Taiwan for the fifth straight day. The Air Force and the Navy were again involved in this, as the People’s Army announced. Taiwan accused China of preparing an attack on the island with the exercises and in turn held military exercises with live ammunition. According to the army, the Taiwanese exercises had been planned for some time.
China’s military drills will focus “on organizing joint anti-submarine and naval offensive operations,” the Chinese army said. In addition, target practice would take place in the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
According to Taiwan, 45 Chinese fighter jets and ten ships were in the Taiwan Strait. 16 planes would have crossed the unofficial demarcation line – the unofficial center line in the Taiwan Strait – which Beijing does not recognize.
China began the maneuvers on Thursday after US top politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Despite all the protests and contrary to its own announcements that the maneuvers would end on Sunday, the People’s Republic continued the military exercises. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman called the ongoing maneuvers “steadfast and forceful” behavior and an “appropriate” response to US “provocation”. China will resolutely shatter the “illusion of the Taiwanese authorities that they can achieve independence thanks to the United States”.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu accused China of “preparing for an invasion of Taiwan”. Pelosi’s visit is only used as a pretext for Beijing. In addition to military exercises, China is relying on “cyber attacks, a disinformation campaign and economic pressure to weaken public morale in Taiwan”. His government will not be intimidated even if the exercises continue, Wu said.
China’s Bureau of Taiwan Affairs criticized Wu’s remarks. He is a “die-hard” supporter of Taiwanese independence and his comments “distort the truth and obscure the facts,” it said.
US President Joe Biden spoke publicly on the issue for the first time since Pelosi’s visit earlier this week, saying he was concerned about China’s actions in the region but not about Taiwan. Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl announced that US Navy ships will continue to sail through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks. A Pentagon official has stressed that the Washington administration stands by its assessment that China will not attempt to invade Taiwan for the next two years. Meanwhile, Pelosi defended her trip to Taiwan as “absolutely” worthwhile. The United States cannot allow China to isolate Taiwan, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives told NBC.
Since the split between China and Taiwan in 1949, Beijing has viewed the island as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – if necessary using military force. The conflict between Beijing and Taipei has recently intensified under Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has also fueled fears that Beijing could use a similar approach when dealing with Taiwan.
