China is using military drills to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan, and its anger over US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit is just an excuse, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday.
Speaking in English at a news conference in Taipei, Wu accused China of “gross violations of international law.”
“China has used the drills in its military playbook to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan,” he said. “It is conducting large-scale military exercises and missile launches, as well as cyberattacks, disinformation and economic coercion, in an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan.”
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
He said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) activities would have taken far longer to prepare if they were a direct response to Pelosi’s visit.
China’s tactics, including the firing of ballistic missiles, were “clearly trying to deter other countries from interfering in its attempt to invade Taiwan,” and showed that it has much broader geostrategic intentions, he said.
“China’s real intention is to alter the ‘status quo’ in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region,” Wu added.
Beijing has declared ownership of the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and aims to influence the international community’s freedom of travel by controlling the stretch of water linking the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, he said.
In the past week, the PLA has conducted more than 100 sea and air crossings of the median line, constituting “specific action to break the long-standing tacit agreement,” Wu said, adding that it would probably now try to “routinize its actions.”
“Its intentions are not likely to end there,” he said, noting China’s security agreement with the Solomon Islands and its influence across the Pacific, southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Continuing cyberattacks over the past week have also been traced to China and Russia, Wu said, adding that the authorities remained on “high alert,” but would not be cowed.
“China’s continued attempt to intimidate Taiwan will not panic us, nor will they defeat us. The values of freedom and democracy cannot be taken away,” he said.
Taiwan began its own scheduled live-fire military drills yesterday in Pingtung County, designed to simulate defensive operations against an attack.
Chinese vessels reportedly continued to run missions off Taiwan’s east coast and in the Strait yesterday, as median line crossings by PLA warplanes also continued.
Asked if China was trying to lure Taiwan’s allies in response to Pelosi’s visit, Wu reiterated that the nation’s diplomatic ties with its 14 allies are stable.
Wu said that some senior officials and heads of state from allied nations are planning to visit Taiwan soon to show their support amid rising cross-strait tensions.
He did not give further details, citing only the example of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a six-day visit.
Additional reporting by CNA and Reuters
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
RSS