Eight countries have sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait so far this year in support of regional stability, including Vietnam, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said today.
Tsai joined Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) today to brief the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the regional security situation.
The US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, the UK and France all sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait this year, Tsai said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
These vessels passed through the Strait a total of 12 times, including two joint operations by the US and UK, as well as Canada and Australia, he said.
These concrete actions demonstrating freedom of navigation show that international society and US allies support peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, he said.
When the international community sends vessels through the Taiwan Strait, China dispatches its own vessels to track and monitor them, sometimes even mobilizing air forces to carry out mock attacks to signal its military presence and claim of dominance in the region, Tsai said.
Regarding the potential for China to launch military exercises on Saturday next week, the anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, Tsai said that Beijing can easily turn routine military activities into targeted shows of force simply by repackaging them and assigning special exercise code names.
China’s typical military operations can be reframed to coincide with politically sensitive dates, meaning no potential scenario — including targeted drills — can be ruled out, he said.
The bureau is closely coordinating with other intelligence agencies and the Ministry of National Defense to integrate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts, and maintain real-time awareness of Chinese military movements, he said.
They would also cooperate with international partners to monitor China’s activities and assess any signs of provocation, he added.
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