-China has started two days of military exercises around Taiwan as
'strong punishment' for the self-ruled island's 'separatist acts'
-The drills come three days after the inauguration of President William
Lai, who has been called a ' dangerous troublemaker' by Beijing
-China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under
Beijing's control, but the island sees itself as distinct
-Taiwan's defence ministry has condemned the Chinese drills as
"irrational provocations"
-China has repeatedly rehearsed encircling Taiwan with fighter jets and
navy ships over the past year
Taipei reported an uptick in incursions into -Taiwanese waters and
airspace in the run-up to Lai's inauguration
The drills come three days after the inauguration of Taiwan's President
William Lai, who Beijing has long seen as a "dangerous troublemaker"
For the first time, Beijing is simulating a full-scale attack, rather than an
economic blockade as it did during the previous round of major military
exercises in 2022.
This is also the first time that China has mentioned as targets outlying
islands that are close to its coast
The drills underscore the root of China-Taiwan tensions - Beijing sees the
island as a breakaway province while the Taiwanese see themselves as separate
Taiwan's defence ministry has called the drills an "irrational provocation"
while its foreign ministry has told China to "be rational"
China has routinely flown jets into Taiwanese airspace and sailed ships into
its waters in the last few years, setting a new normal in the 100-mile strait
between them.
There are four figures in China’s pantheon of pro-Taiwan independence
criminals.
First is the late former KMT President Lee Teng-hui, next is ex-DPP president
Chen Shui-bian, then Tsai Ing-wen and now current President William Lai. It is
pretty clear that William Lai has immediately risen to become the most hated
of them all.
In a commentary published a short while ago, state broadcaster CCTV blasted
Lai for "selling the two-nation theory".
"Lai has surpassed Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and Tsai Ing-wen in promoting
independence for Taiwan," it reads.
China and Taiwan: a basics refresher
Here's a quick recap of what divides Beijing and Taipei:
Why do China and Taiwan have poor relations? China sees the self-ruled
island as a part of its territory and insists it should be unified with the
mainland, by force if necessary. Taiwan sees itself as distinct
How is Taiwan governed? The island has its own constitution,
democratically elected leaders, and about 300,000 active troops in its armed
forces
Who recognises Taiwan? Only a few countries recognise Taiwan. Most
recognise the Chinese government in Beijing instead. The US has no official
ties with Taiwan but does have a law which requires it to provide the island
with the means to defend itself
Japan reacts to Chinese drills
We have heard from Tokyo, where Japan's chief government spokesman has
expressed concern about the drills.
Japan "will continue to communicate directly and clearly to China the
importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait", said Japanese Chief
Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Hayashi said Japan "will continue to closely watch developments of the
relations across the Taiwan Strait".
Taiwan’s presidential office reassures public
Taiwan’s presidential office has said it is “regrettable” to see China“ using
unilateral military provocations to threaten Taiwan's democracy and freedom”.
Reassuring the public, the office added that Taiwan’s military units and
national security team have a “comprehensive grasp of the situation”.
“In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend
democracy and are confident and capable of safeguarding national security. We
ask the public to rest assured,” it said.
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