China Holds New Drills Around Taiwan As A "Punishment" (representative X image@SuperPowerChina)
Just days after Lai Ching-te took over as Taiwan”s news President, China held its most expansive military drills in a year. China said the latest drills were intended to serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. Citing a military spokesman, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that the attack is a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces.
Reportedly, the “external references” line is likely a reference to the US, which is Taiwan”s main military backer. The US President Joe Biden repeatedly said that Washington would defend the democracy of 23 million people if attacked, while China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control, by force, if necessary.
The new drill exerts pressure on Lai who just took power of the island nation. During his inaugural address, Lai said that Beijing should drop its threat on war. He also added that neither side of the strait was subordinate to the other.
China has already voiced its displeasure in Lai taking the office. It said that the new president”s speech “sent a dangerous signal of seeking independence”. Beijing also condemned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for congratulating Lai, sanctioned a former US congressman who supported Taiwan and hit US defense companies with symbolic sanctions.
China and US are at odds over several issues spanning from Taiwan to China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. China “stressed that it will never compromise or back down on the Taiwan issue”, said China’s Ministry of National Defense in a statement released in January this year. China asked US to “stop arming” Taiwan.
Beijing asked Washington to “reduce its military deployment and provocative actions in the South China Sea and stop supporting violations and provocations by individual countries”. China has claimed that the entire South China Sea comes under the nine-dash line. Nine-dash line is a marker in Chinese maps, which shows 90 percent of the South China Sea within Beijing’s territory. The Country has building expanding activities in the Sea by building artificial islands and deploying coast guards, fishing fleets and maritime militias to key areas.
The latest Chinese drills were being carried out in the Taiwan Strait; north, south and east of Taiwan; and around the offshore islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, reported Xinhua. It also added that the exercises would last two days.
