China’s military began three days of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, amid tensions with the island after a meeting between its President Tsai Ing-wen and a third US official.
The maneuvers “serve as a serious warning against collusion between Taiwan independence-seeking separatist forces and external forces, and against their provocative activities,” Chinese military spokesman Shi Yi said in a statement. According to the Chinese military, they include “patrols”.
Live-fire drills will take place on Monday in the Taiwan Strait near the coast of Fujian (eastern) province, which faces the island, local maritime officials said. The drills, which have an “operational” dimension, are intended to demonstrate that the Chinese military is ready to “solve all Taiwan issues once and for all” if “provocations intensify,” military analyst Zhang Changping warned.
Taipei said the maneuvers threaten “stability and security” in the Asia-Pacific region.
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Its leader, Tsai Ing-wen, on Saturday condemned “authoritarian expansion” on China’s part and pledged that the region would “continue to work with the United States and other countries (…) to defend the values of freedom. Democracy”.
The Chinese maneuvers follow Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States this week, where she met with House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday. Beijing immediately pledged “firm and forceful measures” in retaliation.
Warships and aircraft
China views with displeasure a working rapprochement in recent years between Taiwanese officials and the United States, which provides significant military support to the island despite no official ties. It counts Taiwan (population 23 million) as one of its provinces, which it has not yet succeeded in reunifying with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The United States recognized the People’s Republic of China in 1979, and in theory should have no official contact with the Republic of China (Taiwan), under the “One China Policy” defended by Beijing.
Since Thursday, China has been increasing military pressure on Taiwan by sending warships and aircraft to the strait. During the week it strengthened its coast guard presence in the strait for exceptional patrolling.
While the exact location of the new maneuvers was not specified, Monday’s live-fire drills will take place around Pingtan, which is closest to Taiwan on mainland China. The narrow part of the strait between the Chinese coast and the island is about 130 kilometers wide.
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On Friday, AFP journalists in Pingtan saw a military ship and at least two military helicopters in the Taiwan Strait. It is unclear, however, whether these moves represent an increase in the regular number of Chinese patrols in the area.
“delusion”
In August, Beijing made unprecedented military maneuvers around Taiwan when Democrat Nancy Pelosi visited the island ahead of Kevin McCarthy. The response at this stage to the meeting with the American No. 3 is nothing to compare with the summer of 2022.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said it spotted eight Chinese warships and 42 warplanes around the island at noon on Saturday. Twenty-nine flights crossed the demarcation line separating China from Taiwan, the same source said.
The military maneuvers come a day after Emmanuel Macron visited China, during which the issue of Taiwan was raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Elysee Palace said on Friday that “the dialogue was intense and open” on the matter.
“Anyone who thinks China is going to compromise on Taiwan is delusional,” Xi Jinping assured European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, according to a Chinese diplomatic report.
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