Just days after the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President William Lai Ching-te, of the Beijing-skeptical Democratic Progressive Party, China initiated surprise military drills around the self-governed island it claims as its own. The People’s Liberation Army described the exercises, which included sending naval ships and warplanes into the Taiwan Strait and launching target strikes on areas surrounding the island, as “a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Taiwan’s government was quick to condemn the show of force, which its defense ministry condemned as “irrational provocations” that “undermine regional peace and stability.” China’s actions also notably drew a response from Taiwan’s more Beijing-friendly Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), which urged “the other side of the Taiwan Strait to exercise restraint.” The party said in a statement that Taiwan’s defense ministry should “respond rigorously” to the exercises and called on the Chinese Communist Party to “stop unnecessary measures, avoid conflicts across the Taiwan Strait, and cherish the results of cross-Strait peaceful development.” The KMT is widely regarded as pro-China, but it has tried to move away from that image in a bid to win back popular support as the Taiwanese public largely prefers maintaining the status quo more than either outright independence or unification.
Comment on China’s ‘Punishment’ Military Drills Concern Even Taiwan’s Beijing-Friendly Party
Chad de Guzman and Koh Ewe, Time: World
Thu, 05/23/2024 - 3:00am
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