Taiwan warns that China’s continued pressure on the island is a global concern.
TAIPEI: Taiwan has accused China of methodically “nibbling away” at its sovereignty through ongoing military drills and other coercive actions designed to create a new, altered normality in the region, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung stated on Thursday (May 30).
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, conducted a series of war games near the island last week, following the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing labels a “separatist.”
Although those exercises have officially concluded, China’s military presence remains active. Taiwan reported on Wednesday that Chinese warplanes and warships engaged in a “joint combat readiness patrol.”
“The pressure from the Chinese communists on Taiwan is comprehensive, especially in the diplomatic arena,” Lin explained during a parliamentary briefing.
Taiwan continues to face significant barriers when trying to participate in international organizations. Most recently, it was excluded from a key World Health Organization meeting, a situation that has become all too common, according to Lin.
China’s stance on Taiwan remains clear: it views the island as a province of China, denying it the rights of an independent state, a view rejected by Taiwan’s government.
Lin also highlighted other actions by China, such as unilaterally creating new air routes near Taiwan-controlled islands and dispatching coast guard vessels to Taiwan’s east coast during military drills last week.
“China is systematically altering the status quo,” Lin said. “They are creating a new normal, making incremental moves to undermine and eventually annex us.”
In a press conference earlier this week, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated its stance against Lai, accusing him of supporting Taiwan’s formal independence, and warned of continued military activity.
Despite these provocations, Lai has extended invitations for dialogue with China, emphasizing that Taiwan’s future should be determined by its people.
China, however, maintains that Taiwan is a domestic issue.
Lin stressed the wider regional implications of the issue.
“The Taiwan Strait issue is not only a concern for the immediate region, but for global stability as well,” he said.
Taiwan’s government continues to assert that it is an independent country, the Republic of China, a government that fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war to the Communists, who went on to establish the People’s Republic of China.
