Taiwan urges China to stop “provocative behaviour” amid rise in Chinese military activity

Taiwan’s government on Wednesday urged China to stop what it labelled “proactive behavior,” referring to a rise in Chinese military activity around the country after President Lai Ching-te’s first overseas trip, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said Lai Ching-te’s recent visit to diplomatic allies was a common practice of Taiwan presidents. Kuo said China should not use routine international exchange as an excuse to launch “provocative” action and urged Beijing to stop, according to CNA report.

She stressed China’s behavior “blatantly jeopardized the Indo-Pacific region’s security and stability and destabilized global peace.” Kuo assured the people of Taiwan that the nation’s armed forces had a grip on the situation and would work to safeguard the national security amid the “provocation.”

She made the statement after China designated seven areas off the coast of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces as “temporary reserved areas” of airspace from Monday until Wednesday. This typically showcases that military activities will take place, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Her statement comes after defence officials in Taiwan said that China has deployed approximately 90 naval and coast guard vessels in waters stretching from islands in the south of Japan to the South China Sea, this massive deployment is the largest in nearly three decades, VOA reported.

Taiwan officials stated that this move ‘appears to be a military exercise.’ However, China has not yet commented on the movements or confirmed it is conducting exercises, as per VOA News report.

While addressing the regular press briefing on Tuesday, Taiwanese defence officials said “Beijing’s operation is not only targeting Taipei but aimed at demonstrating its ability to prevent regional countries, including Japan and the Philippines, from coming to the island’s defence.”

“The current scale is the largest compared to the previous four [Chinese war games],” Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang stated.

In addition to honing its capabilities to deny access to a broad swath around the island, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said China is also forming two “walls” in the western Pacific, deploying large numbers of vessels to the eastern end of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone and an area further out in the Pacific.

Speaking to reporters, Taiwanese defence official Hsieh said, “With these two walls, they are sending a clear message: The Taiwan Strait is their internal waters, and cross-strait issues should be handled by the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] and the People’s Republic of China.”

Taiwan has been preparing for a potential Chinese military exercise around the island since President Lai Ching-te set off on his first overseas trip to the Pacific region, which included stopovers in the US territory of Guam and state of Hawaii, on November 30.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the “One China” policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital. Beijing has consistently expressed its goal of reunification with Taiwan, using diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally. However, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence.