Worried about the rapprochement between Taiwan and the United States, China announced on Sunday December 25 that it had conducted military exercises near the island. The number of devices mobilized was not specified, nor the exact location of these maneuvers.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “conducted multi-agency joint combat readiness patrols and joint strike drills in the air and sea around the island of Taiwan”said Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater of Operations. “This is a firm response to the growing collusion between the United States and the Taiwanese authorities and their provocations”he said in a statement.
China considers Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, to be one of its provinces, which it has yet to successfully reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. She sees with dissatisfaction the rapprochement at work in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States, which has provided the island with military support against Beijing for several decades.
“This behavior of the Chinese Communist Party once again highlights its mentality, which is to use force to settle disputes, and to undermine regional peace and stability.”reacted the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense. “Cooperation between Taiwan and the United States contributes to freedom, openness, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region”he continued.
From previous exercises in August
The rapprochement between Washington and Taiwan, begun under former US President Donald Trump, has helped to strain Sino-US relations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday expressed its “strong opposition” after the adoption of a US Defense Act, the “National Defense Authorization Act”under which the United States notably released $10 billion in military aid and arms sales to Taiwan.
In August, the PLA conducted major military exercises around Taiwan, an unprecedented show of force, in retaliation for a visit to the island by Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Chinese diplomacy considered this gesture as a provocation, because the United States officially committed to recognizing the communist government in Beijing as the sole legitimate representative of China.
The Chinese authorities favor the option of a “peaceful reunification”but they have never renounced the use of force to conquer Taiwan, especially if the island were to proclaim its independence.