Taiwan is not to be dependent on the possibility that an enemy might not come, but on its own readiness to confront the enemy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) today said in response to a US report that warned China has enhanced its capacity to "blockade or launch an invasion of Taiwan with little advance warning."
The US Senate’s China Economic and Security Review Commission released a report on Tuesday that said 2027 is reportedly Beijing’s deadline to be prepared to invade Taiwan, to accelerate the development of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities, while also marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PLA.
The commission cited US and Taiwan military officials who said that the PLA could implement a blockade within "a matter of hours."
Photo: Taipei Times
The report said Beijing has continued to escalate a "multifaceted pressure campaign targeting Taiwan through military threats, economic coercion and malign influence activities."
Taiwan is to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and to collaborate with allies to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Lin told reporters before attending the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee today.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is good at utilizing the so-called “timetable,” stepping up its military capabilities to prepare for a war on the one hand, while waging cognitive warfare to create coercive diplomatic leverage on the other hand, he said.
Taiwan must strengthen its defense and work with like-minded partners to address the threat, he said.
He also noted that the CCP is grappling with serious domestic challenges and questioned whether Beijing might stoke nationalism with the use of the “three 80th anniversaries” — the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (as China refers to the Second Sino-Japanese War), the UN’s 80th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of the retrocession of Taiwan — and take reckless risks.
Taiwan must be ready for any scenario to maintain peace and stability in the Strait, he said.
He also welcomed the passage of the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act by the US Senate on Tuesday, and said Taiwan is to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the US in the realms of security, economy, technology and culture.
Like-minded democratic countries should stand together in the face of authoritarian expansion and attempts to change rules-based world order, he said.
Asked about the recent tension between Beijing and Tokyo, he said Taiwan is to support Japan at this critical moment to stabilize the situation and stop China’s bullying behavior.
China has been using economic coercion and military threats to bully other countries, he said, calling such behavior uncivilized and undemocratic.
He was referencing China's retaliation against Japan after the latter's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said recently that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would count as "a situation threatening Japan's survival," and thus could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
In response, China said that the "blatantly provocative remarks on Taiwan" have "further damaged the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges ... creating additional risks to the safety and security of Chinese citizens in Japan."
Since then, China has imposed a slew of measures aimed at Japan's economy, including issuing advisories against travel and study in Japan.
Taiwan has been a victim of such coercion, as Beijing frequently weaponizes trade, investment and tourism to threaten Taipei, he said.
He called on Taiwanese to increase travel to Japan and buy more of its products in support of the neighboring country.
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