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BEIJING.- China began this Thursday two days of military exercises “around the island of Taiwan” as “strong punishment” for “separatist acts” in this territory after the inauguration of a new president who is seen by Beijing as a threat.
Considered by the communist authorities as a “separatist danger”, Lai Ching-te He was sworn in as president on Monday with a speech in which he celebrated Taiwan’s democracy and urged China to “cease its political and military intimidation.”
China, which claims sovereignty over the separately governed island since 1949 and has never ruled out the use of force to take control of it, denounced his words as an “confession of independence.”
The maneuvers began early Thursday with the deployment of military aircraft and ships “around the island of Taiwan” to test their combat capabilities, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced.
The exercises, which include the army, navy, air force and rocket unit, are being carried out in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of the island, as well as in areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, the announcement detailed.
It is “a strong punishment for the separatist acts of the Taiwanese independence forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces”said Li Xi, spokesman for the military command.
Furthermore, they are a “serious warning” addressed to the “independence supporters” of the island, who will end up “bloodied,” said a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, Wang Wenbin.
State media said China sent dozens of fighter jets with real missiles and carried out simulated attacks, along with warships, against high-value military targets.
The exercises come just three days after Lai took office. China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory, denounced Lai’s inauguration speech on Mondayin which she urged him to stop his threats, saying that the two sides of the strait “were not subordinate to each other.”
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Lai “shameful.”
Lai repeatedly offered talks with China, but they have been rejected.
Taiwanese authorities immediately responded to the military exercises and mobilized their sea, air and land forces. ”We will continue to defend the values of freedom and democracy”assured President Lai.
“I will remain on the front lines with our brothers and sisters in the military to defend national security together,” he added.
In coordination with the military, the Taiwan Coast Guard deployed its fleet to “monitor movements in the surrounding maritime waters” and defend “the sovereignty and security of the country with a firm attitude.”
Taiwan deployed four fighter jets from the Hsinchu base, about 60 km southwest of Taipei.
In images released by the Taiwanese Coast Guard on social networks, officers appear urging the Chinese ships, through a loudspeaker, to leave the site.
”Your movements affect the order and security of our country, turn around and leave our waters as soon as possible.”says one of them.
A senior Taiwan official said the exercises were part of a scenario that Taiwan had anticipated. In the run-up to the inauguration of the new presidency, Taiwanese officials had said they were monitoring Chinese military movements.
Relations between Beijing and Taipei have deteriorated significantly since the rise to power of the Taiwanese president. Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 that, like her successor Lai, she is a firm defender of the island’s democratic model.
Beijing increased military, diplomatic and economic pressure on this island of 23 million inhabitants that, although it barely enjoys international recognition, has a government, an army and its own currency.
In August, China launched military exercises in response to then-Vice President Lai’s stop in the United States amid a trip to Paraguay.
Months earlier, in April, Chinese armed forces pretended to surround the island after Tsai met in California with then-U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In 2022, China held massive military exercises in the area after McCarthy’s predecessor Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
Events in this area may have important economic consequencessince 70% of the world’s semiconductor production comes from Taiwan and more than 50% of freight containers cross the strait that separates this island from mainland China.
Agencies AFP and Reuters
THE NATION
