Post by account_disabled on Feb 17, 2024 8:54:31 GMT
Unlock Editor's Digest for free FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter. Taiwan's military pretended to identify and attack Chinese warships in exercises to reassure the public amid concerns that Beijing could increase pressure on the country after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's victory in this month's presidential election. As part of the exercise, a high-speed minecraft ship on Wednesday placed a fake sea mine about 10 nautical miles from the Zuoying naval base on Taiwan's southwest coast. He was accompanied by Marines in a group of M109 amphibious assault boats, while four fast missile boats secured nearby waters and mobile ground units simulated the launch of Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles against enemy vessels. A day earlier, Taiwan's air force showed off its P-3C patrol aircraft, which can monitor and target enemy submarines with anti-ship missiles and Harpoon torpedoes, and its E-2K airborne early warning aircraft. The drill comes as Taiwan's government and security analysts expect China to step up its military intimidation campaign around the island, which it claims as its own and threatens to take by force if necessary. A Chinese government official suggested Wednesday that the United States, the most important supporter of Taiwan's security, would likely sacrifice the country if Donald Trump were re-elected president in November, in the latest example of Beijing's efforts to undermine public morale in Taiwan.
The United States always pursues an 'America First' policy," said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office. "Taiwan could transform from a 'chess piece' to a 'sacrificial chess piece' at any time." Taiwanese air force personnel watch a C-130 Hercules take off in Pingtung on Tuesday. The exercises included aircraft for early tracking and locating submarines © Ritchie B Tongo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Chen was responding to a question about a Fox News interview last July in which Trump refused to commit to defending Taiwan against a Chinese attack, saying America Mobile Number List doing so would put him “in a bad negotiating position.” He also claimed that Taiwan “[took] our entire chip business.” The Taiwanese public's confidence in the reliability of American support has shaken in recent years, and many citizens have come to view the risk of a Chinese attack in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as more realistic. This week's military exercise was explicitly aimed at bolstering public confidence. "We assure the people that our armed forces are monitoring the enemy situation at any time and are highly capable of keeping the country safe," said Lt. Col. Chen Kun-yuan, one of the naval officers involved in the drill, "so that “The nation can have a peaceful and worry-free lunar new year.” While the Chinese Communist Party frequently claimed in the run-up to the presidential election that DPP candidate Lai Ching-te would lead Taiwan toward war, Beijing's reaction to his victory has been muted.
However, Taiwanese national security officials said they expected the People's Liberation Army to resume larger-scale maneuvers in the vicinity of the island starting in March, when China's military exercise season begins. Taipei also protested Beijing's decision this week to change civil aviation routes over the strait that separates the countries in a way that brings Chinese civil aircraft closer to the unofficial median line. Beijing did not consult Taiwan's government about the measure, which takes effect on Thursday. "Chinese planes could now end up crossing the line when they have to adjust their flight routes due to weather conditions," said Colonel Sun Li-fang, spokesman for Taiwan's Defense Ministry. The change increases the burden on Taiwan's military, which monitors air traffic to provide early warning of any Chinese military air incursions. Recommended Illustration by James Ferguson of a brown bear eating and spilling its food from a plate with Ukraine written on it, while a panda bear approaches a plate with Taiwan written on it and a mini city on top Over the past three years, the PLA has steadily increased the frequency, scale and sophistication of naval and air maneuvers around Taiwan, including passages through the skies and waters southwest of the island, where the exercises were focused. Taiwan this week. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said through which American submarines can approach from their base. in Guam.
The United States always pursues an 'America First' policy," said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office. "Taiwan could transform from a 'chess piece' to a 'sacrificial chess piece' at any time." Taiwanese air force personnel watch a C-130 Hercules take off in Pingtung on Tuesday. The exercises included aircraft for early tracking and locating submarines © Ritchie B Tongo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Chen was responding to a question about a Fox News interview last July in which Trump refused to commit to defending Taiwan against a Chinese attack, saying America Mobile Number List doing so would put him “in a bad negotiating position.” He also claimed that Taiwan “[took] our entire chip business.” The Taiwanese public's confidence in the reliability of American support has shaken in recent years, and many citizens have come to view the risk of a Chinese attack in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as more realistic. This week's military exercise was explicitly aimed at bolstering public confidence. "We assure the people that our armed forces are monitoring the enemy situation at any time and are highly capable of keeping the country safe," said Lt. Col. Chen Kun-yuan, one of the naval officers involved in the drill, "so that “The nation can have a peaceful and worry-free lunar new year.” While the Chinese Communist Party frequently claimed in the run-up to the presidential election that DPP candidate Lai Ching-te would lead Taiwan toward war, Beijing's reaction to his victory has been muted.
However, Taiwanese national security officials said they expected the People's Liberation Army to resume larger-scale maneuvers in the vicinity of the island starting in March, when China's military exercise season begins. Taipei also protested Beijing's decision this week to change civil aviation routes over the strait that separates the countries in a way that brings Chinese civil aircraft closer to the unofficial median line. Beijing did not consult Taiwan's government about the measure, which takes effect on Thursday. "Chinese planes could now end up crossing the line when they have to adjust their flight routes due to weather conditions," said Colonel Sun Li-fang, spokesman for Taiwan's Defense Ministry. The change increases the burden on Taiwan's military, which monitors air traffic to provide early warning of any Chinese military air incursions. Recommended Illustration by James Ferguson of a brown bear eating and spilling its food from a plate with Ukraine written on it, while a panda bear approaches a plate with Taiwan written on it and a mini city on top Over the past three years, the PLA has steadily increased the frequency, scale and sophistication of naval and air maneuvers around Taiwan, including passages through the skies and waters southwest of the island, where the exercises were focused. Taiwan this week. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said through which American submarines can approach from their base. in Guam.