Even if there are political disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, they should be resolved through peaceful means. Any use of force or military pressure is unwise, and should be condemned by all nations.
After a delegation led by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach arrived in Taipei on Thursday last week, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted military drills for two consecutive days, sending fighter jets to cross into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
A Ministry of National Defense news release said that 37 PLA Air Force fighters crossed the median line of the Strait on Friday and Saturday last week, including H-6, J-16, J-11 and J-10 fighters, and a Y-8 transport plane.
Such provocative acts that infringe on Taiwan’s sovereignty have seriously undermined peace across the Strait and in the region.
The ministry has condemned the move in the most solemn terms, and called on Beijing to exercise self-control and not seek to stir trouble.
China’s rapid military expansion in the past few years has had a major impact on the security of the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, Beijing’s ever-present ambition to use the PLA against Taiwan has become obvious to the US, Japan and other countries.
Especially in the past few years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has had the PLA frequently conduct drills around Taiwan’s air defense identification zone with various advanced fighters, and the fleet including the aircraft carrier Liaoning has also entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone many times, as well as sailing along the western side of the Strait’s median line
Despite the lack of an obvious threat from an enemy country, the CCP’s military expansion has far exceeded its own defensive needs.
The frequent military drills of various scales conducted in the South China Sea — whether they are declared to be “routine” or using “targeted” live ammunition — have become considerable military threats to Taiwan and its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region.
Beijing has continuously said that its national defense policy is purely defensive in nature, and China’s development does not pose a threat to any nation.
No matter how far it develops, China would neither seek hegemony nor expand, it has said.
However, the PLA’s provocations aimed at Taiwan in the past few weeks have been serious and are sufficient to prove to the international community that the CCP’s so-called “defensive national defense” is questionable.
The CCP does not walk the talk of the “defensive national defense.”
Taiwan is an important democracy in Asia. It has conducted several presidential elections and transfers of power, receiving lots of attention and praise from the international community.
Several important US officials have visited Taiwan this year, and China has been responding to these events with aircraft carrier exercises of increasingly large scale, military drills and even harassing Taiwan by flying its fighter jets cross the Strait’s median line.
These irrational actions only bolster the will of Taiwanese to resist their enemy.
They also raise awareness of the nation’s security crisis — which is not only not helpful for cross-strait peace, but focuses the world’s attention on two hot topics: “the CCP’s military intimidation of Taiwan” and “security maintenance in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Yao Chung-yuan is an adjunct university professor and former deputy director of the Ministry of National Defense’s strategic planning department.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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