(FiveNation.com)- On May 25, the Chinese military announced that it would arrange military maneuvers in Taiwan’s sea and air regions. The Chinese described this action as a “warning” to the United States government in Washington.
According to a statement released on May 25, the spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, Colonel Shi Yi, stated that the regime’s armed forces had undertaken multi-service joint combat readiness patrols and real combat drills in the area close to Taiwan.
The statement did not indicate whether such a drill had already taken place or was to come, but it did describe the move as a “solemn warning” to Washington over its “collusion” with Taiwan. The statement also did not specify whether the drill had already taken place or was to come.
The regime considers the island part of its territory and intends to capture it by force if necessary.
The declaration was made a day after joint military maneuvers between the Chinese dictatorship and Russia were carried out over the waters of the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific. It was the first time that the two nations have conducted joint drills since the conflict in Ukraine, which has aroused worries over the possibility that the Chinese leadership may use the crisis to expedite its plans to grab Taiwan. The exercise took place in both countries.
Over the last several years, Beijing has ramped up its military harassment of Taipei by maintaining a consistent daily presence of jets in the island’s airspace. On May 25, four Chinese military aircraft crossed into the air defense identification zone that encompasses Taiwan.
Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States, was on his maiden trip to Asia when he said that the United States had a “promise” to protect Taiwan if the Chinese authorities invaded it. Later, the White House attempted to distance itself from the controversial statements, claiming that they did not signal a change in the United States’ policy toward Taiwan.
The United States maintains a long-standing policy regarding Taiwan that is known as “strategic ambiguity.” This policy means that U.S. administrations have been purposely unclear on whether or not the United States would protect the island if China invaded it.
The government in Washington, DC, keeps strong ties with Taiwan, and a federal statute mandates that the United States administration must give Taipei the tools for it to defend itself.
Chiu Kuo-cheng, the Defense Minister of Taiwan, stated on May 26 that the Chinese Communist Party has rarely stopped its harassment of Taiwan in recent years. He also mentioned that the ministry would continue to monitor its exercises. Chiu made this statement while noting that the ministry will continue to keep an eye on the movements.
According to Chiu, Taiwan has to make preparations for its defense and can’t entirely rely on the assistance of other nations. This year, the island has upped its military spending to a record level in reaction to the threats made by the dictatorship. Additionally, the island has suggested increasing the length of the island’s mandatory military duty from four months to a full year.
