President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that Taiwan is concerned about potential accidents in the region as military activity increases and called on Beijing to restrain itself, after China allegedly fired four missiles in the South China Sea.
Tsai made the remarks after delivering a virtual address to the Indo-Pacific Leaders Dialogue at the invitation of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
The Presidential Office yesterday released a transcript of her speech and the question-and-answer session with participants.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
China’s latest volley of missile launches into the world’s most hotly contested body of water served as a warning to two key US targets: aircraft carriers and regional bases.
The missiles launched into the South China Sea on Wednesday included the DF-21D and DF-26B, theSouth China Morning Post reported, citing a person close to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
A US Department of Defense official, who asked not to be identified, told Bloomberg News that China fired four medium-range ballistic missiles during a series of military exercises this week.
They landed in the sea between China’s southern Hainan Island and the disputed Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) near Vietnam, the official said, not far from where US carriers conducted drills in recent weeks to back up the decision of US President Donald Trump’s administration to challenge Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense yesterday reiterated its contention that the exercises were not directed at any one nation, without mentioning the missile launch.
Still, ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian (吳謙) said that “some US politicians” were trying to provoke a conflict between the two nations, but told a briefing in Beijing that China was “not afraid.”
Asked to evaluate the possibility of a cross-strait conflict, Tsai said that “there have been significant concerns over the potential for accidents, given increased military activity in the region.”
“Therefore, we believe it would be important for all parties to maintain open lines of communication to prevent misinterpretations or miscalculations,” she said.
Tsai called on Beijing to exercise restraint and recognize its obligations as a major regional power.
Asked about Taiwan’s expectations for Canberra, Tsai said: “We hope that Australia also continues to recognize the importance of Taiwan’s security in terms of the broader Indo-Pacific region.”
“After Hong Kong, Taiwan stands increasingly on the front lines of freedom and democracy. We certainly hope that like-minded countries will continue to work together to ensure Taiwan’s security,” she said.
Asked how Taiwan prepares itself for this more volatile and dangerous period, Tsai said that three components are absolutely essential.
“The first is our commitment to ensuring that we continue to take a pragmatic and consistent approach to our cross-strait policy,” she said. “Another issue of importance is to strengthen our defense capabilities... The third component is to strengthen our linkages with like-minded countries.”
“Peace, parity, democracy and dialogue” remain the nation’s principles in dealing with cross-strait relations, Tsai said.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday posted several photographs on Facebook to highlight cooperation between Taiwan and the US on security.
Among them, an image shows the first of 32 amphibious assault vehicles purchased from the US that arrived in Taiwan last month.
Another image shows Taiwanese military officers that participated in a virtual forum this month with the US Army’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Asked for comment on China’s missile launches, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that Japan would not comment on a single event, but that it is opposed to any action that would escalate tensions in the South China Sea.
Japan continues to monitor China’s activities in the area, he said, adding that any territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through international law.
Vietnam on Wednesday said that Beijing’s military exercises in the South China Sea infringed on its sovereignty.
“China’s repeated military exercises in [the Paracel Islands] violate Vietnam’s sovereignty, complicating negotiations for a Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between China and ASEAN members,” Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS