Latest news with #cross-Strait
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Taiwan president calls for peace and dialogue with China amid heightened military activity
Taiwan's president has reiterated calls for peace and dialogue with China as he marked one year in office, amid heightened Chinese military activity and worsening political division at home. Lai Ching-te, who was inaugurated a year ago, told reporters on Tuesday that a war would have 'no winners', but Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defences to ward off a Chinese invasion or attempt to annex it by force. 'It is the aggressor who undermines peace … Taiwan is a peace-loving nation, and our society values goodwill,' he said on Tuesday in response to questions after his formal address. 'I am deeply committed to peace, because peace is priceless, and in war there are no winners.' 'However, whilst our pursuit of peace is sincere, it must not be naive.' He urged Beijing to restart dialogue with his government on equal terms, 'using exchanges to replace hemming in, dialogue to replace confrontation'. China's ruling Communist party (CCP) cut all ties and dialogue with Taiwan's government when Lai's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, won the 2016 election for their pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive party. The CCP considers the party to be unlawful separatists. In response to the president's speech, China's official state media, Xinhua, accused Lai of 'deliberately escalating' cross-Strait tensions. 'Since taking office, the Lai Ching-te administration has brazenly pursued 'Taiwan independence' to serve partisan and personal gain, charging headlong down a path of division and confrontation that threatens the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' it said. In recent weeks China's military launched larger than usual numbers of planes and ships into Taiwan's air defence identification zone – an average of about 20 planes and 11 navy and coastguard ships each day. Taiwan authorities had publicly warned of likely Chinese retaliation or pre-emptive activity in response to the speech. Last week government officials told reporters they couldn't rule out military drills in the days after Lai spoke, and on Monday the coast guard said Beijing could launch 'political warfare' to disrupt public morale in Taiwan. Lai has taken a more publicly assertive stance against China's aggression than his predecessor Tsai, which analysts had been expecting his inauguration anniversary speech to continue. Earlier this month he said Taiwan was facing a similar threat to Europe in the 1930s. However the speech on Tuesday in the end made no mention of China or its annexation plans, and his related comments only came in response to questions in the subsequent press conference. Instead the speech focused on domestic pledges to reduce carbon emissions, plans to deal with the US Trump administration's punitive tariffs, and domestic political turmoil. 'The trade de-escalation reached between Beijing and Washington has generated anxiety in Taipei over whether the issue of Taiwan may emerge in future US-China talks,' said Amanda Hsiao, a director in Eurasia Group's China practice, referring to fears Beijing may seek a softening of the US's longstanding support of Taiwan. 'This uncertainty may be a factor for why Lai chose not to reiterate his views on the China threat in a high profile speech.' Amid worsening domestic political turmoil Lai announced he would offer national security briefings to the chair of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). The KMT and another rival party, the TPP, control the majority of seats in Taiwan's legislature and have been accused of blocking Lai's agenda. The opposition parties have accused Lai and his Democratic Progressive party of increasing tensions with China and stifling opposition. In the name of national security, Lai's administration has increased scrutiny of Chinese-born people in Taiwan, and cracked down on public statements that support Beijing's goals. The KMT welcomed the new briefings as Lai having 'finally taken a small step' to end partisan conflict, but said he had much more to do.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
G7's 'deep concern' on China's drills around Taiwan
Leaders of the G7 countries have expressed "deep concern" over China's recent large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. Foreign ministers of the G7 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - plus the European Union condemned Beijing's "provocative actions". "These increasingly frequent and destabilising activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity," they said in a joint statement on Sunday. #G7 Foreign Ministers' statement on China's large-scale military drills around Taiwan. #G7Kananaskis2025 #G7Canada — G7 (@G7) April 6, 2025 G7 members and the international community have an interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the statement said. "We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion." China rejected the joint statement, calling it a "mischaracterisation of the facts and truth and an interference in China's internal affairs." "China deplores, opposes and absolutely does not accept this," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said. China's military conducted the drills over two days in early April. The military said the exercise, involving the army, navy, air force and missile unit, included precision strikes on simulated key targets. The Chinese Embassy spokesperson said that the exercises were "severe punishment" against the Taiwan government's "aggressive provocation to seek 'Taiwan independence'," as well as "a stern warning to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces who deliberately undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait." "No external force is in any position to point fingers at this," the spokesperson continued. "We will never ever allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any form. We will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity." In addition to regular military exercises, Chinese fighter jets fly almost daily into Taiwan's air defence zone, usually prompting a response from Taiwan's Air Force. China regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and has repeatedly threatened to invade it in the past. It has warned other countries, notably the US, to stop supporting Taiwan, which it regards as interference in China's domestic affairs. Democratic Taiwan, with a population of around 23.4 million, has had an has had an independent government since 1949.
Japan Times
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
G7 condemns 'provocative' Chinese military drills around Taiwan
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven have delivered an unusually strong condemnation of China's recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan, expressing 'deep concern' over the 'provocative' and 'destabilizing' drills. 'These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity,' the ministers said in a statement released Monday. 'G7 members and the larger international community have an interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' the statement added. 'We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion.' Members of the G7 — which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union — 'continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue,' it said. Last Wednesday, China's military concluded two days of military exercises near Taiwan that Beijing said included "long-range live-fire drills" and saw it practice simulated strikes on key ports and energy facilities on the democratic island. China said the drills were intended to "test the troops' capabilities" in areas such as "blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets,' as Beijing ramps up pressure on Taipei. The drills, positioned strategically around Taiwan, seemed intended to rehearse cutting off vital shipping lanes essential to both the island and the global economy, experts said. China views self-ruled Taiwan as its 'core of core issues' and regards the island as a renegade province that must be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing regularly deploys military aircraft and warships around the island and has conducted a number of large-scale exercises. While some experts said the exercises were intended to weigh any response by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Beijing has hinted that they also highlighted its growing ability to blockade the island while also giving troops a taste of what actual combat would look like. 'Those espousing the view that the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command's joint exercises were intended to gauge the reaction of the U.S. should also be reminded that the drills were specifically tailored to hone combat readiness and familiarize troops with battlefield conditions to enhance operational capabilities and demonstrate the PLA's ability to crush secessionist forces,' the state-run China Daily newspaper said in an editorial after the drills concluded.
South China Morning Post
06-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing's military drills around Taiwan are ‘destabilising', G7 says
Foreign ministers from the G7 (Group of Seven major advanced economies) called mainland China's recent military drills around Taiwan provocative and destabilising while urging dialogue for 'peaceful resolution of issues'. Advertisement 'These increasingly frequent and destabilising activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity,' the top diplomats said in a joint statement on Sunday. 'G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue.' Last week, mainland China's military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island. The combat drills are fuelling fears that one day a military exercise could escalate into a real attack by the People's Liberation Army. Advertisement
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China's military launches live-fire exercise in escalation of ongoing surprise drills near Taiwan
The Chinese military practiced live-fire strikes in the East China Sea in an escalation of ongoing surprise drills near Taiwan, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement Wednesday. China's armed forces launched exercises, dubbed 'Strait Thunder-2025A,' in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, focusing on testing the troops' capabilities of 'joint blockade and control' and 'precision strikes on key targets,' the Eastern Theater Command's spokesperson Senior Colonel Shi Yi said. As part of the drills, which were not announced ahead of time, the ground army of the Eastern Theater Command conducted 'live-fire long-range strike drills in designated areas of the East China Sea,' according to the statement. 'The drills involved precision strikes on simulated targets such as key ports and energy facilities and achieved the intended results,' Shi added. Wednesday's drills came after the PLA conducted joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan 'from multiple directions' on Tuesday, days after US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter 'China's aggression' on his first visit to Asia. Eastern Theater Command said the drills were a 'stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces,' calling them 'legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity.' For Taiwan, a democracy of some 23 million people that sits just 80 miles from China at its nearest point, the drills are the latest reminder of the threat that comes from its giant Communist Party-run neighbor, which claims the island as its own and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary. Taiwan has denounced the drills as an 'irrational provocation' and accused China of being a 'troublemaker.' The United States, Taiwan's biggest international backer, condemned what it called 'China's irresponsible threats and military pressure operations near Taiwan.' 'China's escalating military intimidation tactics only serve to exacerbate tensions and undermine cross-Strait peace and stability,' the State Department said in a statement. This is a developing story and will be updated.
