Deterring conflict over Taiwan is a priority, the White House said in its National Security Strategy published yesterday, which also called on Japan and South Korea to increase their defense spending to help protect the first island chain.
Taiwan is strategically positioned between Northeast and Southeast Asia, and provides direct access to the second island chain, with one-third of global shipping passing through the South China Sea, the report said.
Given the implications for the US economy, along with Taiwan’s dominance in semiconductors, “deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” it said.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, Bloomberg
However, the strategy also reiterated Washington’s decades-long policy that the US “does not support any unilateral change to the status quo.”
It continued to urge for more support from its allies, calling for US diplomatic efforts to focus on pressuring its partners in the first island chain to grant the US military greater access to their facilities and spend more on defense.
Deterrence is necessary to protect Taiwan and keep the South China Sea open, both of which are in the US’ best interests, the report said.
“This will require not just further investment in our military — especially naval — capabilities, but also strong cooperation with every nation that stands to suffer, from India to Japan and beyond, if this problem is not addressed,” it said.
The strategy said Japan and South Korea should increase their defense spending, with a focus on deterrence and protecting the first island chain.
As for Taiwan and Australia, it said the US would continue its “determined rhetoric on increased defense spending.”
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
In other news, Taiwan and Japan yesterday voiced concerns over Chinese military activities in the region, after Reuters reported that Beijing had deployed a large number of vessels across East Asian waters this week, in its largest maritime show of force to date.
Reuters on Thursday reported that China was deploying a large number of naval and coast guard ships across East Asian waters — at one point more than 100 — citing sources and intelligence reports.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) told reporters that the Chinese activity stretched from the Yellow Sea down through waters near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in the East China Sea, and into the South China Sea and the western Pacific.
“This indeed poses a threat and impact to the Indo-Pacific and the whole region,” she said. “We also especially call on China to live up to its responsibilities as a major power and to exercise restraint in its actions.”
Kuo said President William Lai (賴清德) had instructed the military to maintain full situational awareness and provide timely updates.
Taiwan would keep close contact and cooperation with unspecified “friendly partners” to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, she said.
Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo was aware of the reports and was watching Chinese military movements “with great attention,” but declined to comment on deployment.
“China has been expanding and stepping up its military activities in the areas surrounding Japan, and we make a constant effort to gather and analyze information on Chinese military movements with great attention,” Koizumi said. “In any event, the government will continue to monitor developments around Japan with deep concern and will make every effort to ensure thorough information gathering and surveillance.”
China’s military has not commented, but Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) said navy and coast guard activities in “relevant maritime areas” adhered strictly to domestic and international law.
“There is no need for any party to overreact, overinterpret or engage in baseless speculation,” he said.
November and December are traditionally a busy season for Chinese military exercises, although the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has not made any announcements of large-scale officially named drills.
The operations exceed China’s mass naval deployment in December last year that prompted Taiwan to raise its alert level, the sources said.
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