Military maneuvers were launched by China around Taiwan on Saturday August 19 in response to recent stops in the United States by William Lai, the vice-president of the island, a territory claimed by Beijing.
“The Eastern Area Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Saturday launched joint air and sea patrols and navy and air force military drills around the island of Taiwan.”wrote the official New China agency, quoting army spokesman Shi Yi.
These maneuvers are intended to test the ability of Chinese ships and aircraft “to take control of air and sea space” and to fight “under real conditions”, specifies the official article. They should also serve “severe warnings to the collusion of the separatists” taiwan separatists “with foreign elements and their provocations”the agency added.
Beijing had warned on Sunday that it intended to follow “closely the development of the situation and [de prendre] firm and energetic measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Taiwan strongly condemned, on Saturday, “this irrational and provocative behavior” and promised to send “the appropriate forces to respond to them (…) in order to defend the freedom, democracy and sovereignty of Taiwan”.
“The conduct of a military exercise (…) under a false pretense not only does not contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also highlights the militaristic mentality [chinoise] and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion”the island’s national defense ministry said in a statement.
Beijing’s Black Beast
William Lai, favorite in the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election, who called himself a“pragmatic independentist”, is Beijing’s pet peeve. The Harvard-educated doctor-turned-politician stopped off in New York and San Francisco on a trip to Paraguay, one of the few nations that officially recognize Taiwan.
This trip has angered China, which considers Taiwan as one of its provinces and opposes any official contact between Taipei and Western countries – which would legitimize the island’s authorities and undermine its claims to sovereignty. Washington had called for calm over Mr. Lai’s trip, which Taiwan authorities said was only “transit” American soil before traveling to Paraguay to attend the inauguration of President-elect Santiago Peña.
But on Saturday, an official from the Chinese Communist Party office in charge of Taiwan issues said “strongly condemned” Mr. Lai’s trip, calling it a “new provocation” in view of “strengthen collusion with the United States”according to New China.
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“Mr. Lai’s last “stopover” (…) was a cover-up he used to sell Taiwan’s interests to gain gains in local elections through dishonest manoeuvres”the official said, according to the same article. “Mr. Lai’s actions have proven that he is a real troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the brink of war and cause serious problems for Taiwan compatriots”continues the press release.
“Resist annexation”
Mr. Lai received the nomination of the Democratic Progressive Party to seek the presidency in 2024 and succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, whose second term will end then.
During a lunch in New York on Sunday, Mr. Lai reaffirmed his intention to maintain the“pledge to resist annexation or encroachment on [la] sovereignty” from Taiwan. “At this critical moment, we promise again here and now that no matter how great the authoritarian threat to Taiwan, we will never be afraid and we will never back down.”he assured an audience including representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan which, de facto, acts as the United States embassy on the island.
Beijing-Taipei relations soured in 2016 with the arrival of Tsai Ing-wen as president, with Beijing intensifying political and military pressure on the archipelago in recent years. Military planes regularly make incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
In April, while Mme Tsai was meeting with US Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, China had held three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of Taiwan.