Source: Reuters
By breaching an unofficial “median line” that runs down the canal, China has violated a tacit agreement on military activities in the Taiwan Strait, claimed Taiwan’s defence minister on Wednesday.
The median line of the Taiwan Strait, which is around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Taiwan’s seas, is about 180 kilometres (110 miles) broad.
Chiu informed Taiwan’s parliament that Taiwan would respond if China exceeded its “red line” while accepting the demise of the implicit agreement on the median line.
Although he remained silent about Taiwan’s “red line,” it is possible that it includes Chinese aircraft, especially drones, flying into its airspace. The median line was not referred to as a “red line” by him.
In August, China staged massive drills, including shooting missiles over Taipei, to express its ire over a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China sees the democratically run island as its own territory.
Since then, but at a much lower level, Chinese military actions have persisted close to Taiwan, and Chinese military aircraft frequently breach the median line, which for years served as an informal barrier between the two sides.
Chiu stated in a committee hearing of the parliament that “the median line was supposed to be a tacit agreement for everyone.”
“That unspoken understanding has been destroyed.” According to Chiu, Taiwan would oppose China’s attempts to implement a new way of doing things by crossing the middle line.
“They try to establish a new normal, but we remain the same. When they arrive, we will not back down. We resist giving in.”
China and the Taiwan Strait
Even though the People’s Liberation Army had mostly adhered to the line that a U.S. general established in 1954 at the height of Cold War hostilities between Communist China and U.S.-backed Taiwan, China never formally recognised it.
Source: WikipediaÂ
It would be challenging for the island to defend the median line without increasing the risk of a hazardous escalation, according to some Taiwan officials and security specialists.
China acknowledged the unmarked median line covertly for many years, but in 2020 a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said it “did not exist.” China claims that because Taiwan is Chinese territory, its armed forces are entitled to conduct operations there.
China’s sovereignty claims are rejected by Taiwan, which maintains that only the 23 million residents of the island have the authority to determine its future.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Wednesday, Chiu said it was “urgent” to prolong the four-month mandatory military service requirement; however, the ministry was still working out the specifics with other government agencies.
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