China, which considers Taiwan its own territory, responded to the visit with threatening military drills around the island that alarmed the region, and Taiwan later carried out its own maneuvers and launched strong accusations against Beijing.
China announced this day the end of exercises military with submarines, planes, ships and missiles in the Taiwan Strait, two days later than expected, but warned that the troops will remain “attentive” to any change in the situation in Taiwan.
“They will continue to conduct military training and preparations, regularly organize combat readiness patrols, and resolutely defend sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the armed forces said in a statement.
“The Taiwan Question”
Earlier, in a document published under the title “The Taiwan Question and the Reunification of China in the New Era”the Chinese government defined how Beijing intends to take over the island through economic incentives and military pressure.
After a preamble that defines Taiwan as “part of China” and underlines that this “is an indisputable fact”, the document adds a series of historical arguments with “solid basis in history and jurisprudence” on the status of the island.
“We are ready to create a vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will not leave room for separatist activities in any form.”points to the text.
Likewise, “We will not renounce the use of force and we reserve the option to take all necessary measures”added the text of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, the AFP news agency reported.
Pelosi visit
Beijing’s warning comes after several days of Chinese military maneuvers around Taiwan, due to last week’s visit to Taipei, the island’s capital, of Nancy Pelosi.
The legislator, second in the line of presidential succession, became highest US authority to visit Taiwan in decadesdespite the threat of retaliation from China, which seeks to keep Taipei isolated from the world stage.
The Chinese government document emphasized that the use of force will be a “last resort” and to protect China “against external interference and all separatist activities”.
“In no way is it targeting our Chinese compatriots in Taiwan,” he said.
A Taiwanese opposition leader also traveled to China to meet with Taiwanese businessmen, despite being asked by Taiwan to cancel the trip.
Andrew Hsia, deputy chairman of the pro-Beijing Kuomingtan party, made the visit in his personal capacity and was not in the capital.
Nevertheless, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen heavily criticized him for crossing the Taiwan Strait at a time when China is carrying out maneuvers around the island.
From autocracy to democracy
Since the 1990s, the island went from being an autocracy to a democracyand a particular Taiwanese identity has emerged.
Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since 2016, when current President Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party does not consider Taiwan as part of China, came to power.
His platform fits the definition of what China qualifies as Taiwanese separatism.
The Chinese white paper promises Taiwan economic prosperity as well as “more security and dignity” after “reunification.”
The Chinese military exercises after Pelosi’s visit were supposed to end last Sunday, but were extended until today. Japan and Australia, China’s two rivals in the region, had demanded its completion.
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Courtesy: @SpeakerPelosi
US support for Taiwan
The Democratic congresswoman said today that her trip to Taiwan, as part of a tour that touched other countries in Asia, was aimed at demonstrate a strong relationship between the two countries.
“Our purpose in going to Taiwan was to say that we have a strong relationship,” Pelosi said. during a press conference, taken by a dispatch from the Sputnik agency.
The congresswoman said that her country has to support Taiwan and that her visit to the island should be seen as a strong signal in this regard.
The Joe Biden administration defended the trip, arguing that it did not deviate from the historical norms that govern the relationship between the US, China and Taiwan.
In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, the British government announced today that it had summoned the Chinese ambassador to explain “the increasingly aggressive behavior” of his country with Taiwan.
The tension escalated even more yesterday when the Taiwan Army began live-fire exercises to test its defensive capacity against a possible Chinese invasion, while Beijing extended the ones started last week.
The Taiwanese exercises prompted new Chinese warnings.
Any conspiracy to “resist reunification by arms … will end in failure, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Source: Ambito
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