If the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration ever intended to save face, it surely has not been getting any help from China, as the latter continues to upgrade its military in a threatening manner.
Two days before the launch of the cross-strait weekend charter flights, which President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has marketed as a sign of thawing cross-strait relations, reports emerged yesterday that Beijing recently upgraded surface-to-air missiles deployed along its southern coast.
Meanwhile, Xinhua news agency has reported that the Chinese military carried out its first parachuting exercise at Hebei Province’s Shijiazhuang Airport on June 18, in which eight civilian aircraft were involved.
In light of these developments, it appears that only one side — ours — still believes in the vows, made only weeks ago, to set aside differences and rebuild mutual trust.
Just because the KMT government chooses to set aside controversial issues does not mean that those issues do not exist.
US Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia James Shinn recently expressed concerns that the threat of a Chinese attack on Taiwan has markedly increased in the past few years, as the balance in the Taiwan Strait tilts toward Beijing.
Unless it has been blinded by wishful thinking, the KMT government must be aware of this. If it is not, then it needs to be reminded that China’s ultimate goal remains the same: annexation, whatever it takes.
Civilian flights could provide the Chinese military with the cover it needs to penetrate Taiwanese airspace and launch a strike against command-and-control infrastructure.
Such a scenario is feasible. On June 8, The Associated Press reported that two Russian fighter jets tailed a Finnair Airbus for several minutes over northwestern Russia en route from Helsinki to Seoul without the Finnish pilot being aware of it. As it turns out, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen was on that flight.
History shows us that such tactics have their uses. In August 1968, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia using Soviet military transport planes with airborne troopers on board. By time the aircraft had landed at Prague Airport, the airport had already been occupied by a group of “tourists.” Soon afterwards, Czechoslovakian president Alexander Dubcek was removed from power.
The Soviets used a similar tactic for the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, using civilian aircraft to transport KGB units, who then occupied the airport, entered the presidential palace and killed Afghan president Hafizullah Amin.
The fact that the Straits Exchange Foundation failed to include cargo flights during its negotiations with its Chinese counterpart now seems to be a blessing in disguise.
In its haste to improve relations with Beijing, the KMT government has undermined national security and — despite his calls for military readiness yesterday — Ma has made it likelier that Taiwan will be added to the inglorious list of countries that play down feasible threats and suffer the consequences.
It is employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From September, overseas employees on a work visa would need to fulfill the city-state’s new points-based system, and earn a minimum salary threshold to stay in their jobs. While this mirrors what happens in other countries, it risks turning foreign companies away, and could tarnish the nation’s image as a global business hub. The program was announced in 2022 in a bid to promote fair hiring practices. Points are awarded for how a candidate’s salary compares with local peers, along
China last month enacted legislation to punish —including with the death penalty — “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.” The country’s leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), need to be reminded about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has said and done in the past. They should think about whether those historical figures were also die-hard advocates of Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese Communist Party was established in the Shanghai French Concession in April 1928, with a political charter that included the slogans “Long live the independence of the Taiwanese people” and “Establish a republic of Taiwan.” The CCP sent a representative, Peng
Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a defense agreement that would facilitate joint drills between them. The pact was made “as both face an increasingly assertive China,” and is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s “effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea,” The Associated Press (AP) said. The pact also comes on the heels of comments by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who said at a forum on Tuesday last week that China’s recent aggression toward the Philippines in
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announced that the military would hold its annual Han Kuang exercises from July 22 to 26. Military officers said the exercises would feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure. This year’s exercises underline the recent reforms in Taiwan’s military as it transitions from a top-down command structure to one where autonomy is pushed down to the front lines to improve decisionmaking and adaptability. Militaries around the world have been observing and studying Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have seen that the Ukrainian military has been much quicker to adapt to