The US has expressed concern over China’s “unwarranted” and potentially escalatory military drills around Taiwan.
“The United States is seriously concerned by the [Chinese] People’s Liberation Army [PLA] joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan,” US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement late on Sunday (US time).
“The PRC [People’s Republic of China] response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation,” he said.
Photo: AFP
The PLA announced early yesterday morning that it had launched military drills code-named “Joint Sword-2024B” involving its army, navy, air and rocket forces in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan, as a “stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.”
In its statement, the state department called on China to “act with restraint and avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which is “essential to regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern.”
“We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns,” it said.
In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that peace in the Taiwan Strait and its surrounding area is of vital interest to Japan, and that Tokyo would continue to monitor the situation and prepare potential responses.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya and Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani also both emphasized the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait to regional security and stability.
Japan will continue to pay close attention to developments and relevant trends, they added.
The EU urged “restraint” on all sides, while warning against “unilateral actions” that change the “status quo,” in a veiled reference to Beijing.
“We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that may further escalate cross-strait tensions, which should be resolved through dialogue,” EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy Nabila Massrali said in a statement.
The military activities increased cross-strait tensions, the EU said, adding that stability in the Taiwan Strait is of strategic importance for global security.
“We oppose any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion,” Massrali said.
China previously held similar large-scale military drills, named Joint Sword-2024A drills , and encircled Taiwan on May 23 and 24, just days after Lai’s presidential inauguration.
It also conducted large-scale military exercises in August 2022, following a visit to Taiwan by then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, said that China’s timing of the Joint Sword-2024B military drills was meant to test the US’ ability to simultaneously respond to crises in the Taiwan Strait and on the Korean Peninsula.
Referencing the map released by China detailing the locations of the Joint Sword-2024B drills, Lin said PLA forces were positioned closer to Taiwan proper than they were during the drills in May.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said China’s drills were “70 percent political, 30 percent military,” because “no matter what Taiwan does or says, China will not be satisfied.”
Regardless, a noteworthy segment of Joint Sword-2024B was the blockade of critical harbors to deny access to Taiwan’s allies taking the maritime route to its assistance, he said.
Additional reporting by AFP
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