TAIPEI- 

After China’s five consecutive days of targeted military exercises, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie held an international press conference on Tuesday (August 9) and pointed out that China’s military exercises are not only aimed at Taiwan but are an attempt to move the “East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.” Even if they are connected in a line to make it China's inland sea, their ambitions will never stop at Taiwan. Some analysts said that the CCP's attempt to erase the tacit understanding of the middle line of the Taiwan Strait, although the effect remains to be seen, may endanger Taiwan's security and the interests of the Indo-Pacific countries.


In order to counter the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the three-day live-fire exercise around Taiwan was originally scheduled to end on August 7. Announced the news of the actual combat joint exercise, and did not set the end time of the exercise.


Under the premise that the CCP’s military exercise has no end in sight, Taiwan Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie personally went to the front line to hold an international press conference to respond to China’s military provocation.

Wu Zhaoxie: China's drills change the status quo and democratic countries should respond together

Wu Zhaoxie pointed out that China chose to conduct military exercises in the area around Taiwan, which hindered the normal operation of one of the busiest sea and air lanes in the Indo-Pacific region, seriously affected global shipping and trade, and undermined regional peace and security. He said that the Taiwan government strongly condemns China's extremely irresponsible behavior.


Wu Zhaoxie said that China's military threat to Taiwan has existed for many years and has continued to rise. This is an objective fact. China denies that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, and attempts to turn the Taiwan Strait into a sea will affect the international community's right to freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait.


He said that the People's Liberation Army dispatched dozens of military planes to fly over the center line of the Taiwan Strait, taking specific actions to undermine the long-standing tacit agreement on the center line of the Taiwan Strait, and attempting to normalize such flights in order to destroy the long-standing status quo between the two sides of the Strait. He said that the real intention of this Chinese military exercise is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the region, which has already brought extremely unstable factors to the overall regional security.


Taiwan Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie held an international press conference in Taipei.  (August 9, 2022)

Taiwan Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie held an international press conference in Taipei. (August 9, 2022)

Wu Zhaoxie said: "At present, it seems that China's military exercises are only aimed at Taiwan, but observing its actions and attempts around the world, it is no longer limited to Taiwan. China is now step by step connecting the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea into a line so that It has become China's inland sea. At present, China's actions and methods for Taiwan are just excuses, but its ambitions will never stop at Taiwan, and the damage it will cause will not stop at Taiwan. We appeal to all countries that love freedom and democracy We have to work together and work out how to deal with it.”


Before China launched the military exercise, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union issued a joint statement on August 3, expressing concerns about the intimidation provoked by China. The statement stated that China's overreaction will only worsen the situation and undermine regional stability, and called on China not to unilaterally change the status quo in the region by force, and to resolve cross-strait differences peacefully.


The foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, and Australia also issued a joint statement on August 6, urging China to immediately stop the military exercise. The statement specifically condemned five PLA missiles falling into Japan's exclusive economic zone, exacerbating tensions and destabilizing the region. The United States, Japan, and Australia have also pledged to strengthen trilateral partnerships and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.


Regarding the joint statement of the G7 and the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan and Australia, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassadors of many countries to China and lodged stern representations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin advised certain countries to study history carefully and abide by the "one China" commitment.

Scholar: China is accustomed to using military actions to realize the discussion of the inland sea

Wang Hongren, Professor of Political Science, Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (Photo provided by: Wang Hongren)

Wang Hongren, Professor of Political Science, Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (Photo provided by: Wang Hongren)

In this regard, Wang Hongren, a professor of political science at Cheng Kung University in Tainan, southern Taiwan, said in an interview with Voice of America that the CCP has repeatedly extended its military exercises against Taiwan to release a message, but the target is the United States. China believes that the United States not only shirks Pelosi's visit to Taiwan as a "personal decision", but also continues to win over Japan, Australia, and European countries for support afterwards, as if it does not take China's red line seriously. dissatisfied.


Wang Hongren pointed out that most of China's disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea are handled through diplomatic means. Of course, it is necessary to maintain stability, but China regards the Taiwan Strait as an "internal issue", and Taiwan is also China's "core interest", and there is no concession space.


He said that the Taiwan government has actively internationalized the Taiwan Strait issue in recent years in order to avoid being reduced to China's internal affairs. To this, China's recent response is to erase the middle line of the Strait and the "inner sea" of the Taiwan Strait.


U.S. warships have routinely passed through the Taiwan Strait since 2018, and have declared that the Taiwan Strait is international water, and it has the right to exercise "freedom of navigation" missions. But since June this year, China has taken a tough stance on the positioning of the Taiwan Strait.


Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin suddenly stated at a regular press conference on June 13 that the Taiwan Strait is not international water. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and China’s domestic laws, the waters of the Taiwan Strait extend from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to the central line of the strait. China's internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone. Therefore, China enjoys sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait.


Wang Hongren analyzed that China is rhythmically internalizing the Taiwan Strait. First, it discusses its legitimacy in terms of international law and then uses Pelosi's visit to Taiwan as an excuse to express its dissatisfaction. Through military exercises, it tries to deny the tacit agreement on the central line of the Taiwan Strait for decades. He said that the effect of this move is quite large, not only endangering Taiwan's national defense security but also affecting the interests of Asia-Pacific countries.


Wang Hongren said: "Now when we are engaged in international struggles, from the perspective of the other side (China), relying on fighting and killing and relying on force is already the last resort. You see, the CCP has been constantly violating international law during this period. Discussion. In terms of international law, he (must) stand firm first. For example, (China) will continue to discuss in this direction the issue of the central line of the Taiwan Strait. Some countries will believe some things after a long time! It can go To mobilize and gather those countries that are dissatisfied with the United States, there are still many countries and forces.”


Hu Yishan, a senior researcher at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, believes that China's ambitions in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea are ultimately to break through the blockade of the first island chain. He said that the discussion of "inland sea" is more in favor of a legal point of view, and the effect may remain to be seen. However, China has formed an army of aircraft carriers one after another in recent years, and its determination to build a blue sea navy is self-evident. must do.


Hu Yishan said that China's actions of "filling islands and building land" in the South China Sea in the past few years have made Beijing's claim on this area an "established fact". Powerless to reverse this "fait accompli". He said that China is a regional superpower both economically and militarily, and countries can only find ways to get along with China within the established facts.


Regarding China's attempt to erase the middle line of the Taiwan Strait, Hu Yishan said: "Unless Taiwan's own military power is strong enough to resist, it will only (default) be like this. Below that, you don’t have much choice.”

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