Beijing emphasised that both sides of the Taiwan Straits are part of one China, with Taiwan being an integral component….reports Asian Lite News
During a routine press briefing in Beijing, Chen Bihua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, reiterated China’s stance that Taiwan has never been an independent country and never will be.
He emphasised that both sides of the Taiwan Straits are part of one China, with Taiwan being an integral component.
Chen strongly opposed any military interactions between nations recognising China and Taiwan, including the sale of arms.
He called on the United States to uphold the One-China principle and cease actions such as arms sales and military support that could be seen as backing pro-independence groups in Taiwan.
For decades, China has warned against military support for Taiwan by countries that recognize the One-China Policy, viewing such actions as interference in its internal affairs and a threat to its territorial integrity. The One-China Policy, a foundational element of Chinese foreign policy, maintains that there exists a singular Chinese nation and includes Taiwan as an integral component.
In recent years, tensions between China and Taiwan have been heightened by various factors, including Taiwan’s increasing international presence and calls for greater independence from Beijing.
The United States, along with several other countries, maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and has provided it with military support, which China views as interference in its internal affairs.
US’ ‘Hellscape Strategy’
To thwart President Xi Jinping’s plan of invasion of Taiwan which China’s President has asked the People’s Liberation Army to do by 2027, the US military is ready with its strategy of turning the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities, a Washington Post columnist said.
“I want to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities,” Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told The Washington Post at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue Summit.
The key to thwarting Xi’s assumed strategy is a U.S. strategy called “Hellscape,” Paparo told me. The idea is that as soon as China’s invasion fleet begins moving across the 100-mile waterway that separates China and Taiwan, the U.S. military would deploy thousands of unmanned submarines, unmanned surface ships and aerial drones to flood the area and give Taiwanese, U.S. and partner forces time to mount a full response.
In doing so, he said, “I can make their lives utterly miserable for a month, which buys me the time for the rest of everything.”
According to the top US military official, That plan hinges on quickly building and deploying thousands of new drones that would swarm the Taiwan Strait and keep China’s military busy until more help can arrive.
This type of strategy would require heavy investments in cheap, reliable drones, which the US has been doing with its Replicator initiative.
Last year, the Department of Defence officially announced the program, which is a long-term plan to field thousands of autonomous systems.
Moreover in an Interview with Washington Post, Adm. Samuel Paparo, the new head of US Indo-Pacific Command said, “For any US president, to send American men and women to defend a small democracy on the other side of the world would be a very tough call.”
“That’s why Plan A is to deter Xi from ever attempting an invasion, by making sure that he never looks across the Taiwan Strait and sees an easy victory.” he added. (ANI)
China ups military activity near Taiwan territory
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that it has tracked 23 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around the island country from 6 am (local time) on Wednesday to 6 am (local time) on Thursday.
Of the 23 Chinese military aircraft, 19 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to China’s action, Taiwanese armed forces sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor China’s activity.
In a post on X, Taiwan’s MND stated, “23 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 19 of the aircraft crossed the median line of #Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s SW and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
So far in June, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft near its territory 132 times and naval/coast guard vessels 109 times, Taiwan News reported. Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating near Taiwan.
According to Taiwan News report, gray zone tactics are termed as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”
This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China’s foreign policy. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it a part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
On June 12, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that 13 Chinese military aircraft and nine Chinese naval vessels were detected operating around Taiwan from 6 am (local time) on Tuesday to 9 am (local time) on Wednesday.
Of the 13 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 9 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the Southwest and Southeast parts of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan’s MND. In response to China’s action, Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and responded accordingly. (ANI)
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