China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will.
The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement.
China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth.
Photo courtesy of the Military News Agency
The navy continues to counter Chinese actions by using its forces flexibly and integrating reconnaissance assets to ensure constant surveillance and quick reactions, it said.
The military closely watches the development of new tactics by the Chinese and takes prompt countermeasures to defend the nation’s sovereign waters, it said.
Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua (唐華) on Thursday said in an interview with The Economist that the PLA is enacting an “anaconda strategy” to subdue Taiwan and that the nation’s armed forces are being stretched thin.
The Chinese military is “slowly, but surely” increasing its presence around Taiwan proper, he was quoted by the magazine as saying.
“They are ready to blockade Taiwan at any time they want,” he said.
PLA air incursions across the Taiwan Strait’s median line surged five times from 36 in January to 193 last month, and Chinese ships operating near Taiwanese waters have doubled from 142 to 282 during the same period, he said.
Chinese ships have moved closer to Taiwan and sail along the nation’s contiguous zone, or 24 nautical miles (44km) from shore, patrolling for days at a time, Tang said.
Citing Taiwanese analysts Ma Cheng-kun (馬振坤) and Tristan Tan, The Economist said the Taiwanese navy is deploying 25 percent to 50 percent of its combat strength to match PLA patrols.
“They give you extreme pressure, pressure, pressure. They’re trying to exhaust you,” Tang said, adding that a government audit found that more than half of Taiwanese principal combatants have fallen behind schedule on maintenance.
Most Taiwanese are unaware of PLA patrols’ proximity and regularity, as government updates on Chinese military activities do not identify warship types, their designation or the duration of their presence, Tang said.
The government could be worried that disclosure could harm Taiwanese morale or the economy, he was paraphrased as saying.
The navy is focused on avoiding confrontation as the PLA inches closer to the nation, because Beijing’s goal is to “force Taiwan to make mistakes,” Tang said, adding that mishaps could serve as “excuses” for launching a blockade.
The military this year issued new rules of engagement that legally and morally define the justifiable use of force, he said.
“We restrain our guys not to provoke or escalate,” he added.
The PLA has 10 times as many destroyers as Taiwan and twice as many frigates, The Economist said.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue