Chinese military action is seen as a response to the visit of US lawmakers to Taiwan, to President Tsai Ing-Wen.
The Chinese military conducted exercises on Friday, this was done to send across a clear message. The message relayed through the act was that China would use force or the threaten to use it, to bring Taiwan under its control. This military exercise coincided with the visit of the US officials to Taiwan. The visit is viewed as a public display of the US’s support for Taiwan, a democratic self-governing island nation. The visit is also seen as an indirect warning for China. The Chinese Foreign Minister stated that China will continue to take strong measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Friday, Six American lawmakers held meetings with the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen. The officials also met with Taiwan’s defence minister.
China and US on Taiwan
The eastern command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted military drills in the region opposite Taiwan. The military had sent bombers, fighter planes and frigates into the East China area sea.
The official statement from the spokesperson of the foreign ministry Zhao Lijian said that it was a countermeasure to the negative actions by the US recently, including the meetings held between the Taiwan’s President and the US lawmakers.
China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and is against any independent involvement between the island and foreign countries. The island and China have a long-standing history. Taiwan had split from China after the civil war in 1949 and had established itself as an independent nation. The official statement from the Eastern command stated that the military exercise is “a necessary action based on the present security situation in the Taiwan Strait and the need to safeguard national sovereignty. Taiwan is a sacred and inalienable part of Chinese territory. There is no room for any foreign interference in the Taiwan issue,”
Senator from New Jersey Robert Menendez praised Taiwan’s democracy and its famous status as a widely used semiconductor chip manufacturer and warned that this status must be protected due to the wide-ranging implications it has.
Melendez stated that Taiwan is a country of global significance, global consequence and global impact. It would mean that the security of Taiwan has a global impact. Menendez heads the senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. He added that the US does not seek any conflict with China, as Taiwan does not seek conflict with China. The delegation of lawmakers from the US was headed by Senator of South Carolina Lindsey Graham. The other members included North Carolina senator Richard Burr, senator of Ohio Robert Portman, Nebraska senator Benjamin Sasse and Texas senator Ronny Jackson.
Taiwan’s President, Tsai, welcomed the delegation of the US lawmakers and expressed her hope that the US -Taiwan relations and cooperation would deepen and strengthen in future.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has proven that democracies must bolster their alliances and collectively we can defend ourselves from the threats posed by authoritarian nations that seek to disrupt regional peace,” Tsai said on Friday during the visit by the US delegation.
The US has been Taiwan’s biggest foreign ally, unofficially.US has also increased its weapon sales to Taiwan throughout the past few years. As per law, the US is supposed to provide weapons for defensive purposes only to Taiwan. However, the question of US intervention in the case of the Chinese invasion remains unclear.
Taiwan was handed over to China in 1945 by Japan. However, after the civil war in 1949, Taiwan became a separate territory. The People’s Republic of China however recognizes Taiwan as its part and strongly opposes any foreign involvement which recognizes Taiwan as an independent country. Taiwan under the current president maintains the stance that it is an independent country. China has been carrying out military exercises near Taiwan as an intimidation tactic.
Published by : Gargi sharma
Edited by : Aaradhana singh
