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image source, HECTOR RETAMAL / GETTY
China began a series of large-scale air and naval military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday, a show of force following a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The exercises included live fire in the sea surrounding Taiwan from noon (0400 GMT), Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
“From 12:00 pm today until 12:00 pm on August 7 A major military exercise of the People’s Liberation Army will be held,” CCTV reported in a social media post that included a map of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that its military will continue to enhance its state of alertness and react appropriately to the “enemy situation.”
Its armed forces are monitoring the Taiwan Strait and outlying islands and all its troops are undergoing regular daily training, the defense statement added.
“The Ministry of National Defense emphasizes that it will uphold the principle of preparing for war without seeking war and with an attitude of not escalating the conflict or causing disputes,” he said.
Why has China reacted like this?
Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to land on the island of Taiwan in 25 years, made a brief but controversial visit last Tuesday.
China considers to Taiwan as a separatist province and the visit was taken as a violation of his “one China” principle.
image source, Anthony Kwan / Getty
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was controversial and upset China and many of its supporters.
Taiwan, which has historic US support, said China was trying to change the status quo in the region.
US congresswoman is now in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, where he met with the president of the National Assembly, Kim Jin-pyo.
For their part, foreign ministers from Southeast Asia have warned that rising tensions over Taiwan might trigger open conflict.
The regional grouping, ASEAN, said recent developments might lead to a serious confrontation among the great powers.
The United States is at a crossroads. On the one hand, it recognizes Beijing’s so-called “One China” policy, which recognizes a single Chinese government. On the other, it maintains a “robust unofficial” relationship with the island, which includes the sale of weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.
A risk of confrontation
Military drills are Beijing’s main response, although it has also blocked some trade with the island.
The exercises will take place in heavily traveled waterways and include long-range live ammunition shootingaccording to the Chinese government.
Taiwan says that amounts to a sea and air blockade, while the United States maintains that the drills are an irresponsible move and that they might get out of control.
image source, HECTOR RETAMAL / GETTY
China’s military exercises will be held from this Thursday to next Sunday.
Analyst Bonnie Lin, director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies, told the BBC that the Taiwanese military would react cautiously but would still there was a risk of confrontation.
“For example, if China decides to fly planes over Taiwan’s airspace, there is a possibility that Taiwan will try to intercept them. And we might see a mid-air collision, we might see many different scenarios,” he said.
Several Taiwanese ministries have suffered cyberattacks in recent days.
The government of Taipei has also asked ships to take different routes. and is negotiating with Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes.
Japan has also raised concerns with China over the areas covered by the military exercises, which it says overlap with its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In response, Chinese government spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing did not accept Japan’s “alleged” EEZ.
image source, HECTOR RETAMAL / GETTY
Tourists watch Chinese helicopters fly over Pingtan Island.
Analysis: unprecedented exercises
By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of BBC News in Taiwan
The announcement of six large exclusion zones around the island starting this Thursday is ominous.
Beijing did the same thing in 1996, the last time there was the so-called “Taiwan Strait Crisis.” But then the exclusion zones were all quite far from Taiwan’s territorial waters.
This time, three of the six zones intrude on Taiwan’s 12-mile limit. It’s is unprecedented. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has already called the move a violation of UN conventions and said it amounts to an air and sea blockade once morest the island.
If China were to move ships or planes into those areas, it would amount to an invasion of Taiwan’s territory. This means that there is much more at stake, since Taiwan may feel compelled to defend its own waters.
The US Navy is watching all of this closely, and already has the USS Ronald Reagan carrier battle group sailing nearby in the Philippine Sea.
China and Taiwan: basic questions
Why do China and Taiwan have bad relations? China views the autonomous island as part of its territory and insists it must be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
How is Taiwan governed? The island has its own constitution, democratically elected leaders and some 300,000 active members of its armed forces.
Who recognizes Taiwan? Only a few countries recognize Taiwan and most recognize the Chinese government in Beijing. The United States has no official ties to Taiwan, but has a law that requires it to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
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