China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said.
China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai.
The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington.
Photo: AFP
Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei to mark the 113th birthday of the Republic of China.
“Our assessment is that no matter what Lai says on October 10, they might put a name on existing exercises and call it Joint Sword — 2024B. That’s a possibility,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, citing intelligence gathered by Taiwan and the government’s assessments on China’s likely moves.
“It’s likely to be a pretext,” the official said.
In an internal security memo, a copy of which was viewed by Reuters, Taiwanese authorities said they believe Beijing might blame the possible drills on Lai’s “provocation” in his speech.
China has “continuously tried to test the red lines of various countries, maximizing its gray-zone operations,” the memo said, referring to military moves that stop short of actual combat to test and pressure other militaries.
The Ministry of National Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China’s Ministry of National Defense and Taiwan Affairs Office also did not immediately respond to requests for comment
A Taipei-based diplomatic source said the one thing that could hold back a military reaction by China to Lai’s speech was the closeness of the US presidential election and Beijing not wanting tensions over Taiwan to suddenly be put into the international spotlight so close to the vote.
“These days China does not really need a pretext to hold war games around Taiwan. They can do them anytime they like,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.
Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwanese can decide their future.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS