Last week, China began large military drills around Taiwan, which Taiwan criticized as an "unreasonable provocation. " The Chinese military, known as the PLA, deployed warships and fighter jets to warn against Taiwan's independence movements. The scale of the drills shocked Taiwanese leaders as the PLA combined forces from the army, navy, air force, and rocket force, primarily in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Taiwanese officials noted the deployment of numerous Chinese vessels, which could potentially block external intervention.
Taiwan was preparing for a smaller military exercise in response to its president's visits to the U. S. , but the actual scale of the Chinese deployment surprised them, marking the largest naval activity from China in nearly 30 years. At the same time, China limited air traffic in several coastal areas, showing a lack of typical propaganda accompanying such drills.
Taiwan's defense ministry expressed that these military exercises pose a severe threat, even if not formally announced. In contrast, the U. S. government viewed the increased Chinese activity as part of a pattern seen in other large exercises and did not see it as a direct reaction to Taiwan's recent engagements abroad.
China has warned that its military actions would intensify with any provocations from Taiwan seeking independence. Taiwan has since raised its military alert level, conducting readiness drills and establishing an emergency center in reaction to China deploying nearly 90 ships nearby. Taiwan's officials deem these military maneuvers as retaliatory, especially following President Lai Ching-te's visits to the U. S. , and have condemned China's actions that threaten regional peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment