China this month used the meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy as a pretext to launch military drills around Taiwan, during which a significant number of Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
For the first time, China’s Shandong aircraft carrier sailed through waters south of Taiwan. From April 7 to 9, there were 120 takeoffs and landings on the vessel.
Four J-15 carrier-based fighter jets encroached on the southeastern part of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the Ministry of National Defense said.
In August last year, Beijing was upset by then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The Chinese government carried out a series of live-fire drills in six areas around Taiwan and launched Dongfeng missiles over the nation. It contravened international law and shocked the world.
Over the past two years, China has conducted high-handed military intrusions. Beijing not only poses a serious threat to the stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also antagonized the international community with its live-fire drills.
Democratic countries should be alert to the situation.
China’s reckless military activities have threatened Taiwan’s territorial waters and airspace. Given the situation, Taiwan and the US should rework their military collaborations.
The joint effort should not be limited to existing projects, such as providing Taiwan with defensive weapons, exchanges between military personnel, sharing military intelligence and arranging US military personnel to observe the annual Han Kuang military exercises.
These projects focus on tactics, but they should be developed into strategic collaborations. Only in doing so could Taiwan and the US effectively cope with China’s increasing military provocations.
Last year, the US’ National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 was passed by the US Congress, demonstrating Washington’s growing attention to the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
The act emphasizes that military drills should be jointly carried out by Taiwan and the US. The US should mobilize its agencies to enhance the defense readiness conditions of Taiwan and the US, it says.
In particular, it is crucial for the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of National Defense to conduct military drills together.
The act also recommends that Washington invite Taiwan to attend next year’s Rim of the Pacific exercises.
The US Indo-Pacific Command leads the Rim of the Pacific exercises every two years around Hawaii. It is the world’s largest international maritime warfare drill event. More than 20 states including the UK, France, Germany, Japan and Australia participate.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army joined twice in 2014 and 2016, but over the past few years, China’s military expansion in the South China Sea has caused anxiety in the Asia-Pacific region, while the relationship between China and the US has worsened.
The US did not invite China to participate in 2018, but Taiwan was invited to send military officers as observers.
The involvement of Taiwan’s navy next year is key to a renewed relationship with the US. The military collaboration needs a major breakthrough.
Stability in the Taiwan Strait is not only a regional issue, but is a concern for the entire world.
However, the Taiwan-US military collaboration cannot guarantee the security around Taiwan.
From a global perspective, and given an understanding of the geopolitical circumstances and security strategies, Taiwan must establish pragmatic military exchanges with allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
If Taiwan can participate in military exercises led by the US or other allies, its armed forces would obtain valuable training and engage more deeply with operational practices.
Moreover, Taiwan would consolidate alliances with nearby countries and improve its defense readiness.
Only in doing so can China be deterred. This is the only way to respond effectively to a potential war in the Taiwan Strait.
Yao Chung-yuan is an adjunct professor and former deputy director of the Ministry of National Defense’s strategic planning department.
Translated by Emma Liu
The return of US president-elect Donald Trump to the White House has injected a new wave of anxiety across the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwan, an island whose very survival depends on the delicate and strategic support from the US, Trump’s election victory raises a cascade of questions and fears about what lies ahead. His approach to international relations — grounded in transactional and unpredictable policies — poses unique risks to Taiwan’s stability, economic prosperity and geopolitical standing. Trump’s first term left a complicated legacy in the region. On the one hand, his administration ramped up arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned
The Taiwanese have proven to be resilient in the face of disasters and they have resisted continuing attempts to subordinate Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nonetheless, the Taiwanese can and should do more to become even more resilient and to be better prepared for resistance should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) try to annex Taiwan. President William Lai (賴清德) argues that the Taiwanese should determine their own fate. This position continues the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) tradition of opposing the CCP’s annexation of Taiwan. Lai challenges the CCP’s narrative by stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to the
US president-elect Donald Trump is to return to the White House in January, but his second term would surely be different from the first. His Cabinet would not include former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former US national security adviser John Bolton, both outspoken supporters of Taiwan. Trump is expected to implement a transactionalist approach to Taiwan, including measures such as demanding that Taiwan pay a high “protection fee” or requiring that Taiwan’s military spending amount to at least 10 percent of its GDP. However, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invades Taiwan, it is doubtful that Trump would dispatch
World leaders are preparing themselves for a second Donald Trump presidency. Some leaders know more or less where he stands: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy knows that a difficult negotiation process is about to be forced on his country, and the leaders of NATO countries would be well aware of being complacent about US military support with Trump in power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely be feeling relief as the constraints placed on him by the US President Joe Biden administration would finally be released. However, for President William Lai (賴清德) the calculation is not simple. Trump has surrounded himself
RSS