US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on China to abide by a 2016 decision by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating Beijing’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, and reiterated the US’ commitment to assisting the Philippines in the event of a conflict in the disputed waters.
“We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments” under the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, The Associated Press cited Blinken as saying.
His statements came just a few days after Rear Admiral Jean-Mathieu Rey, joint commander of the French Armed Forces in the Asia-Pacific region, told a reporter in Tahiti that France had interests in the region, and that its priority was to “respond immediately” to any erroneous assertions made by China or other countries. France, which has territories in the region that are home to 2 million people, has experienced harassment of its navy by Chinese forces, he said.
China has also harassed the militaries of Australia, Canada and the US while they conducted routine exercises in international waters and airspace, and Beijing has ramped up harassment of Philippine fishing and marine research vessels operating in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
China has a fleet of 200 armed coast guard vessels in the South China Sea, and in January last year it passed a law authorizing those vessels to fire on foreign ships passing through the disputed region. Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all have claims in the region that overlap with China’s so-called “nine-dash line.” China’s willingness to use force to resolve conflicts with these claimants — as well as against any nation who passes through this major shipping corridor — could easily cause a miscalculation that leads to war.
The Diplomat on Dec. 29 last year reported that Jakarta had been growing more concerned about such conflicts after China began sailing into its exclusive economic zone off the Natuna Islands in late 2019. China sailed into the zone 60 times from December 2019 to January 2020, and Beijing last year attempted to disrupt Indonesia’s oil and gas drilling activity in the area, it said, adding that Indonesian officials planned to meet with officials from the neighboring claimant countries in February to discuss resolving sovereignty disputes.
Taiwan should be included in such discussions, as the nation’s Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) lies within the South China Sea. The government should discuss with its friends in Paris, Washington and elsewhere about approaching Southeast Asian countries together to be part of talks on dispute resolution and cooperation in the face of a belligerent China. US Senator Rick Scott, who visited Taiwan last week and met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other officials, has been vocal in condemning Chinese aggression toward Taiwan. French Senator Joel Guerriau, who also visited Taiwan last week, has similarly expressed concern over the effect of Chinese actions on stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Given the widespread concern over Chinese military activity and the growing support for Taiwan, the government should act soon to be a part of establishing a multinational pact to protect shared interests in the South China Sea. Left unchecked, China will only grow bolder and continue to dig in its heels, installing military facilities throughout these international waters.
Despite the ruling in the Hague, global condemnation, protests and freedom of navigation exercises by a growing number of allies, China remains committed to its delusional sovereignty claims. Taiwan and other like-minded nations must act soon and send Beijing a clear message that its aggression toward fishers, shipping vessels, oil companies and others who use the South China Sea will not be tolerated.
For three years and three months, Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has remained stalled. On Nov. 29, members meeting in Vancouver agreed to establish a working group for Costa Rica’s entry — the fifth applicant in line — but not for Taiwan. As Taiwan’s prospects for CPTPP membership fade due to “politically sensitive issues,” what strategy should it adopt to overcome this politically motivated economic exclusion? The situation is not entirely dim; these challenges offer an opportunity to reimagine the export-driven country’s international trade strategy. Following the US’ withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Two major Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-People’s Liberation Army (PLA) power demonstrations in November 2024 highlight the urgency for Taiwan to pursue a military buildup and deterrence agenda that can take back control of its destiny. First, the CCP-PLA’s planned future for Taiwan of war, bloody suppression, and use as a base for regional aggression was foreshadowed by the 9th and largest PLA-Russia Joint Bomber Exercise of Nov. 29 and 30. It was double that of previous bomber exercises, with both days featuring combined combat strike groups of PLA Air Force and Russian bombers escorted by PLAAF and Russian fighters, airborne early warning
Since the end of former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has taken Taiwanese students to visit China and invited Chinese students to Taiwan. Ma calls those activities “cross-strait exchanges,” yet the trips completely avoid topics prohibited by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such as democracy, freedom and human rights — all of which are universal values. During the foundation’s most recent Chinese student tour group, a Fudan University student used terms such as “China, Taipei” and “the motherland” when discussing Taiwan’s recent baseball victory. The group’s visit to Zhongshan Girls’ High School also received prominent coverage in
India and China have taken a significant step toward disengagement of their military troops after reaching an agreement on the long-standing disputes in the Galwan Valley. For government officials and policy experts, this move is welcome, signaling the potential resolution of the enduring border issues between the two countries. However, it is crucial to consider the potential impact of this disengagement on India’s relationship with Taiwan. Over the past few years, there have been important developments in India-Taiwan relations, including exchanges between heads of state soon after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third electoral victory. This raises the pressing question:
RSS