- Taiwan’s defense ministry urges Beijing to stop ‘military harassment’ after 103 Chinese warplanes fly near island CNN
- China flies 103 military planes toward Taiwan in a new high in activity the island calls harassment Yahoo News
- China PLA’s 28 Warplanes Roar In Taiwan Skies; Xi Jinping Preparing To Sound War Bugle? Hindustan Times
- Taiwan urges China to stop ‘destructive’ military activities as fighter jets cross median line The Guardian
- Taiwan urges China to stop ‘destructive’ military activities Yahoo News
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Tag Archives: Taiwans
China threatens retaliation if Taiwan’s president meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – The Associated Press
- China threatens retaliation if Taiwan’s president meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy The Associated Press
- Taiwan president defiant after China threatens retaliation for US trip Yahoo News
- China threatens to take ‘resolute countermeasures’ over meeting between Taiwan’s Tsai, House Speaker McCarthy Fox News
- China Worried as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen’s Central America Trip Stokes Tensions | WION WION
- China warns of retaliation if Taiwan’s president meets US House speaker during visit The Guardian
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US would destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor factories rather than letting them fall into China’s hands, a former national security adviser says – Yahoo Finance
- US would destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor factories rather than letting them fall into China’s hands, a former national security adviser says Yahoo Finance
- US would destroy Taiwan chip factories to avoid China capture: advisor Business Insider
- Taiwan’s dominance of the chip industry makes it more important | Mint Mint
- US would destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor factories rather than letting them fall into China’s hands, a former national security advisor says Yahoo News
- US would destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor factories rather than letting them fall into China’s hands, a former n Business Insider India
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Taiwan’s military has a problem: As China fears grow, recruitment pool shrinks
Taipei, Taiwan
CNN
—
Taiwan has noticed a hole in its defense plans that is steadily getting bigger. And it’s not one easily plugged by boosting the budget or buying more weapons.
The island democracy of 23.5 million is facing an increasing challenge in recruiting enough young men to meet its military targets and its Interior Ministry has suggested the problem is – at least in part – due to its stubbornly low birth rate.
Taiwan’s population fell for the first time in 2020, according to the ministry, which warned earlier this year that the 2022 military intake would be the lowest in a decade and that a continued drop in the youth population would pose a “huge challenge” for the future.
That’s bad news at a time when Taiwan is trying to bolster its forces to deter any potential invasion by China, whose ruling Communist Party has been making increasingly belligerent noises about its determination to “reunify” with the self-governed island – which it has never controlled – by force if necessary.
And the outlook has darkened further with the release of a new report by Taiwan’s National Development Council projecting that by 2035 the island can expect roughly 20,000 fewer births per year than the 153,820 it recorded in 2021. By 2035, Taiwan will also overtake South Korea as the jurisdiction with the world’s lowest birth rate, the report added.
Such projections are feeding into a debate over whether the government should increase the period of mandatory military service that eligible young men must serve. Currently, the island has a professional military force made up of 162,000 (as of June this year) – 7,000 fewer than the target, according to a report by the Legislative Yuan. In addition to that number, all eligible men must serve four months of training as reservists.
Changing the mandatory service requirement would be a major U-turn for Taiwan, which had previously been trying to cut down on conscription and shortened the mandatory service from 12 months as recently as 2018. But on Wednesday, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defence Chiu Kuo-cheng said such plans would be made public before the end of the year.
That news has met with opposition among some young students in Taiwan, who have voiced their frustrations on PTT, Taiwan’s version of Reddit, even if there is support for the move among the wider public.
A poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in March this year found that most Taiwanese agreed with a proposal to lengthen the service period. It found that 75.9% of respondents thought it reasonable to extend it to a year; only 17.8% were opposed.
Many experts argue there is simply no other option.
Su Tzu-yun, a director of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that before 2016, the pool of men eligible to join the military – either as career soldiers or as reservists – was about 110,000. Since then, he said, the number had declined every year and the pool would likely be as low as 74,000 by 2025.
And within the next decade, Su said, the number of young adults available for recruitment by the Taiwanese military could drop by as much as a third.
“This is a national security issue for us,” he said. “The population pool is decreasing, so we are actively considering whether to resume conscription to meet our military needs.
“We are now facing an increasing threat (from China), and we need to have more firepower and manpower.”
Taiwan’s low birth rate – 0.98 – is far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population, but it is no outlier in East Asia.
In November, South Korea broke its own world record when its birth rate dropped to 0.79, while Japan’s fell to 1.3 and mainland China hit 1.15.
Even so, experts say the trend poses a unique problem for Taiwan’s military, given the relative size of the island and the threats it faces.
China has been making increasingly aggressive noises toward the island since August, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi controversially visited Taipei. Not long after she landed in Taiwan, Beijing also launched a series of unprecedented military exercises around the island.
Since then, the temperature has remained high – particularly as Chinese leader Xi Jinping told a key Communist Party meeting in October that “reunification” was inevitable and that he reserves the option of taking “all measures necessary.”
Chang Yan-ting, a former deputy commander of Taiwan’s air force, said that while low birth rates were common across East Asia, “the situation in Taiwan is very different” as the island was facing “more and more pressure (from China) and the situation will become more acute.”
“The United States has military bases in Japan and South Korea, while Singapore does not face an acute military threat from its neighbors. Taiwan faces the greatest threat and declining birth rate will make the situation even more serious,” he added.
Roy Lee, a deputy executive director at Taiwan’s Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research, agreed that the security threats facing Taiwan were greater than those in the rest of the region.
“The situation is more challenging for Taiwan, because our population base is smaller than other countries facing similar problems,” he added.
Taiwan’s population is 23.5 million, compared to South Korea’s 52 million, Japan’s 126 million and China’s 1.4 billion.
Besides the shrinking recruitment pool, the decline in the youth population could also threaten the long-term performance of Taiwan’s economy – which is itself a pillar of the island’s defense.
Taiwan is the world’s 21st largest economy, according to the London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research, and had a GDP of $668.51 billion last year.
Much of its economic heft comes from its leading role in the supply of semiconductor chips, which play an indispensable role in everything from smartphones to computers.
Taiwan’s homegrown semiconductor giant TSMC is perceived as being so valuable to the global economy – as well as to China – that it is sometimes referred to as forming part of a “silicon shield” against a potential military invasion by Beijing, as its presence would give a strong incentive to the West to intervene.
Lee noted that population levels are closely intertwined with gross domestic product, a broad measure of economic activity. A population decline of 200,000 people could result in a 0.4% decline in GDP, all else being equal, he said.
“It is very difficult to increase GDP by 0.4%, and would require a lot of effort. So the fact that a declining population can take away that much growth is big,” he said.
Taiwan’s government has brought in a series of measures aimed at encouraging people to have babies, but with limited success.
It pays parents a monthly stipend of 5,000 Taiwan dollars (US$161) for their first baby, and a higher amount for each additional one.
Since last year, pregnant women have been eligible for seven days of leave for obstetrics checks prior to giving birth.
Outside the military, in the wider economy, the island has been encouraging migrant workers to fill job vacancies.
Statistics from the National Development Council showed that about 670,000 migrant workers were in Taiwan at the end of last year – comprising about 3% of the population.
Most of the migrant workers are employed in the manufacturing sector, the council said, the vast majority of them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Lee said in the long term the Taiwanese government would likely have to reform its immigration policies to bring in more migrant workers.
Still, there are those who say Taiwan’s low birth rate is no reason to panic, just yet.
Alice Cheng, an associate professor in sociology at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, cautioned against reading too much into population trends as they were affected by so many factors.
She pointed out that just a few decades ago, many demographers were warning of food shortages caused by a population explosion.
And even if the low birth rate endured, that might be no bad thing if it were a reflection of an improvement in women’s rights, she said.
“The educational expansion that took place in the 70s and 80s in East Asia dramatically changed women’s status. It really pushed women out of their homes because they had knowledge, education and career prospects,” she said.
“The next thing you see globally is that once women’s education level improved, fertility rates started declining.”
“All these East Asian countries are really scratching their head and trying to think about policies and interventions to boost fertility rates,” she added.
“But if that’s something that really, (women) don’t want, can you push them to do that?”
Taiwan’s military has a problem: As China fears grow, recruitment pool shrinks
Taipei, Taiwan
CNN
—
Taiwan has noticed a hole in its defense plans that is steadily getting bigger. And it’s not one easily plugged by boosting the budget or buying more weapons.
The island democracy of 23.5 million is facing an increasing challenge in recruiting enough young men to meet its military targets and its Interior Ministry has suggested the problem is – at least in part – due to its stubbornly low birth rate.
Taiwan’s population fell for the first time in 2020, according to the ministry, which warned earlier this year that the 2022 military intake would be the lowest in a decade and that a continued drop in the youth population would pose a “huge challenge” for the future.
That’s bad news at a time when Taiwan is trying to bolster its forces to deter any potential invasion by China, whose ruling Communist Party has been making increasingly belligerent noises about its determination to “reunify” with the self-governed island – which it has never controlled – by force if necessary.
And the outlook has darkened further with the release of a new report by Taiwan’s National Development Council projecting that by 2035 the island can expect roughly 20,000 fewer births per year than the 153,820 it recorded in 2021. By 2035, Taiwan will also overtake South Korea as the jurisdiction with the world’s lowest birth rate, the report added.
Such projections are feeding into a debate over whether the government should increase the period of mandatory military service that eligible young men must serve. Currently, the island has a professional military force made up of 162,000 (as of June this year) – 7,000 fewer than the target, according to a report by the Legislative Yuan. In addition to that number, all eligible men must serve four months of training as reservists.
Changing the mandatory service requirement would be a major U-turn for Taiwan, which had previously been trying to cut down on conscription and shortened the mandatory service from 12 months as recently as 2018. But on Wednesday, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defence Chiu Kuo-cheng said such plans would be made public before the end of the year.
That news has met with opposition among some young students in Taiwan, who have voiced their frustrations on PTT, Taiwan’s version of Reddit, even if there is support for the move among the wider public.
A poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in March this year found that most Taiwanese agreed with a proposal to lengthen the service period. It found that 75.9% of respondents thought it reasonable to extend it to a year; only 17.8% were opposed.
Many experts argue there is simply no other option.
Su Tzu-yun, a director of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that before 2016, the pool of men eligible to join the military – either as career soldiers or as reservists – was about 110,000. Since then, he said, the number had declined every year and the pool would likely be as low as 74,000 by 2025.
And within the next decade, Su said, the number of young adults available for recruitment by the Taiwanese military could drop by as much as a third.
“This is a national security issue for us,” he said. “The population pool is decreasing, so we are actively considering whether to resume conscription to meet our military needs.
“We are now facing an increasing threat (from China), and we need to have more firepower and manpower.”
Taiwan’s low birth rate – 0.98 – is far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population, but it is no outlier in East Asia.
In November, South Korea broke its own world record when its birth rate dropped to 0.79, while Japan’s fell to 1.3 and mainland China hit 1.15.
Even so, experts say the trend poses a unique problem for Taiwan’s military, given the relative size of the island and the threats it faces.
China has been making increasingly aggressive noises toward the island since August, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi controversially visited Taipei. Not long after she landed in Taiwan, Beijing also launched a series of unprecedented military exercises around the island.
Since then, the temperature has remained high – particularly as Chinese leader Xi Jinping told a key Communist Party meeting in October that “reunification” was inevitable and that he reserves the option of taking “all measures necessary.”
Chang Yan-ting, a former deputy commander of Taiwan’s air force, said that while low birth rates were common across East Asia, “the situation in Taiwan is very different” as the island was facing “more and more pressure (from China) and the situation will become more acute.”
“The United States has military bases in Japan and South Korea, while Singapore does not face an acute military threat from its neighbors. Taiwan faces the greatest threat and declining birth rate will make the situation even more serious,” he added.
Roy Lee, a deputy executive director at Taiwan’s Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research, agreed that the security threats facing Taiwan were greater than those in the rest of the region.
“The situation is more challenging for Taiwan, because our population base is smaller than other countries facing similar problems,” he added.
Taiwan’s population is 23.5 million, compared to South Korea’s 52 million, Japan’s 126 million and China’s 1.4 billion.
Besides the shrinking recruitment pool, the decline in the youth population could also threaten the long-term performance of Taiwan’s economy – which is itself a pillar of the island’s defense.
Taiwan is the world’s 21st largest economy, according to the London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research, and had a GDP of $668.51 billion last year.
Much of its economic heft comes from its leading role in the supply of semiconductor chips, which play an indispensable role in everything from smartphones to computers.
Taiwan’s homegrown semiconductor giant TSMC is perceived as being so valuable to the global economy – as well as to China – that it is sometimes referred to as forming part of a “silicon shield” against a potential military invasion by Beijing, as its presence would give a strong incentive to the West to intervene.
Lee noted that population levels are closely intertwined with gross domestic product, a broad measure of economic activity. A population decline of 200,000 people could result in a 0.4% decline in GDP, all else being equal, he said.
“It is very difficult to increase GDP by 0.4%, and would require a lot of effort. So the fact that a declining population can take away that much growth is big,” he said.
Taiwan’s government has brought in a series of measures aimed at encouraging people to have babies, but with limited success.
It pays parents a monthly stipend of 5,000 Taiwan dollars (US$161) for their first baby, and a higher amount for each additional one.
Since last year, pregnant women have been eligible for seven days of leave for obstetrics checks prior to giving birth.
Outside the military, in the wider economy, the island has been encouraging migrant workers to fill job vacancies.
Statistics from the National Development Council showed that about 670,000 migrant workers were in Taiwan at the end of last year – comprising about 3% of the population.
Most of the migrant workers are employed in the manufacturing sector, the council said, the vast majority of them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Lee said in the long term the Taiwanese government would likely have to reform its immigration policies to bring in more migrant workers.
Still, there are those who say Taiwan’s low birth rate is no reason to panic, just yet.
Alice Cheng, an associate professor in sociology at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, cautioned against reading too much into population trends as they were affected by so many factors.
She pointed out that just a few decades ago, many demographers were warning of food shortages caused by a population explosion.
And even if the low birth rate endured, that might be no bad thing if it were a reflection of an improvement in women’s rights, she said.
“The educational expansion that took place in the 70s and 80s in East Asia dramatically changed women’s status. It really pushed women out of their homes because they had knowledge, education and career prospects,” she said.
“The next thing you see globally is that once women’s education level improved, fertility rates started declining.”
“All these East Asian countries are really scratching their head and trying to think about policies and interventions to boost fertility rates,” she added.
“But if that’s something that really, (women) don’t want, can you push them to do that?”
China live-fire military exercises: Taiwan’s Kinmen islands fire flares to drive away drones – live | Taiwan
Taiwan fires flares to drive away drones near Kinmen islands
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including it military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan on Wednesday with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere “remains ironclad.”
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Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first US House speaker to visit in more than 25 years.
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Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing “a choice between democracy and autocracy.”
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n
America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad,” she said.
n
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The Biden administration, and Pelosi, have said that the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.
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Thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen presented her with a civilian honour, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.
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I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
“,”elementId”:”4da23638-fe7a-4679-ac69-9aceb7bf0ed1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including it military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
“,”elementId”:”03009f0f-7f24-44a7-8311-48e1ec732c6c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“height”:”3036″,”width”:”5057″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/5057.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”3036″,”width”:”5057″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/master/5057.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“height”:”1200″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“height”:”600″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“height”:”300″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“height”:”84″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/0186ed101e5030f22b6ed16e6d8ca123356fa213/0_178_5057_3036/140.jpg”}]},”data”:{“alt”:”Relics of Kinmen’s history of warfare are scattered across the islands. Kinmen is Taiwan territory but just a few kilometres from the Chinese mainland.”,”caption”:”Relics of Kinmen’s history of warfare are scattered across the islands. 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BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1659576969000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.36 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1659573105000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.31 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.31″,”title”:”Taiwan fires flares to drive away drones near Kinmen islands”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 4 Aug 2022 02.45 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 3 Aug 2022 23.53 BST”},{“id”:”62eb0a758f0892e28b4ab62b”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The world’s most powerful democracies have slammed China for “increasing tensions and destabilising the region” over its response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
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The G7’s top diplomats on Wednesday said they were “concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the People’s Republic of China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation”.
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The statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU, read:
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There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
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The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.
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It urged China not to “unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means”.
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They also made clear there was “no change in the respective one-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members”.
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[We] encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”
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Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taiwan, the senior US official arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night as part of her Asian tour.
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The congresswoman, who is second in line to the US presidency, will on Thursday meet South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
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However, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has no plans to meet Pelosi as he is currently on a summer holiday, an official at the presidential office told SCMP.
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The official denied earlier press reports that Yoon, who is taking a break at his home in Seoul, may head out to receive Pelosi.
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In the first place, there was no such a plan (for Yoon’s meeting with Pelosi) as the president’s vacation schedule coincides with her visit here.”
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The presidential office “welcomes” Pelosi’s visit to South Korea and it hopes her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim will be productive, the official said.
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Asked about Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, she said: “Our government’s stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation.”
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Speculation mounted on social media.
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“Because of vacation? No way. Yoon is not meeting Pelosi as he is nunchi-ing around China,” one post read. Had this happened to Yoon’s predecessor – liberal former president Moon Jae-in – conservatives and news media would have “raised hell with it” and accused Moon of nunchi-ing around Beijing, the post added.
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The former Chinese ambassador to the UK issued a scathing statement overnight, warning the US to stop obstructing China’s “great cause of reunification” and describing the process as a “historical inevitability”.
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Liu Xiao Ming said:
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n
The United States should not fantasise about obstructing China’s great cause of reunification. Taiwan is part of China.
n
Realising complete national reunification is the general trend and a historical inevitability. We will never leave any space for ‘Taiwan independence’ split and interference from external forces.
n
No matter what way the US supports and condones ‘Taiwan independence’, it will ultimately be a sham, and it will only leave more ugly records of the US grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs in history.
n
The Taiwan issue was born out of the country’s weakness and chaos, and it will surely end with the rejuvenation of the nation in the future.”
n
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美国不要幻想阻挠中国的统一大业。台湾是中国的一部分。实现国家完全统一是大势所趋，是历史必然。我们绝不会为“台独”分裂和外部势力干涉留下任何空间。美方不论以什么方式支持纵容“台独”，最终都将是竹篮打水一场空，只会在历史上留下更多美国粗暴干涉别国内政的丑陋记录。
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 3, 2022
n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/AmbLiuXiaoMing/status/1554837161664323584″,”id”:”1554837161664323584″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”46d5f5b6-5eed-4e92-982f-284fbfc0bec0″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1659567184000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.53 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1659568193000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.09 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1659568194000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.09 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.09″,”title”:”China claiming Taiwan’s territory a ‘historical inevitability’, former ambassador to UK says”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 4 Aug 2022 02.45 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 3 Aug 2022 23.53 BST”},{“id”:”62eaf59b8f0878ca99e20a3d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of tensions between China and Taiwan.
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I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments.
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It is approaching 7am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
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- n
- China is to begin a series of unprecedented live-fire drills that would effectively blockade the island of Taiwan, just hours after the departure of US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week has sparked fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait.
- Taiwan has characterised the drills as a violation of international law. The drills will last until Sunday afternoon – and will include missile tests and other “military operations” as close as nine miles to Taiwan’s coastline.
- Ahead of the drill, Taiwan said 27 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone.
- Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night under intense global scrutiny, and was met by the foreign minister Joseph Wu and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.
- Pelosi addressed Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday before having public and private meetings with the president, Tsai Ing-wen. “Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” she said, adding that US solidarity with Taiwan was “crucial” in facing an increasingly authoritarian China.
- In a later statement, she said China could not prevent world leaders from travelling to Taiwan “to pay respect to its flourishing democracy”.
- Pelosi’s trip generated condemnation from Beijing and sparked fears of a new Taiwan strait crisis.
- China vowed “consequences” and announced military exercises in waters around the island on Thursday to show its dissatisfaction.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Beijing of planning to violate the international convention on the law of sea, by breaching Taiwan’s sovereign territory.
- Taiwanese authorities have said the proximity to some major ports combined with orders for all aircraft and sea vessels to steer clear of the area amount to a blockade.
- While China’s military often holds live-fire exercises in the strait and surrounding seas, those planned for this week encircle Taiwan’s main island and target areas within its territorial sea.
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Key events
The Taiwan defence ministry has said its website suffered cyber attacks and went offline temporarily on Thursday, adding it is working closely with other authorities to enhance cyber security as tensions with China rise.
Earlier this week, several government websites, including the presidential office, were subject to overseas cyber attacks, some of which authorities said were launched by China and Russia.
US commitment to Taiwan democracy ‘remains ironclad’
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan on Wednesday with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere “remains ironclad.”
Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first US House speaker to visit in more than 25 years.
Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing “a choice between democracy and autocracy.”
America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad,” she said.
The Biden administration, and Pelosi, have said that the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.
Thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen presented her with a civilian honour, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.
I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
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I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
Here is a little more detail on the suspected drone activity above the Kinmen islands on Wednesday night.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
Major General Chang Zone-sung of the Army’s Kinmen Defence Command told Reuters that the Chinese drones came in a pair and flew into the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night, at around 9pm (1pm GMT) and 10pm.
We immediately fired flares to issue warnings and to drive them away. After that, they turned around. They came into our restricted area and that’s why we dispersed them,” he said.
We have a standard operating procedure. We will react if they come in,” Chang said, adding that the alert level there remained “normal”.
Chang said he believed the drones were intended to gather intelligence on Taiwan’s security deployment in its outlying islands.
The heavily fortified Kinmen islands are just off the southeastern coast of China, near the city of Xiamen.
Last week, Taiwan’s military fired flares to warn away a drone that “glanced” its Matsu archipelago off the coast of China’s Fujian province and was possibly probing its defences, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
Taiwan fires flares to drive away drones near Kinmen islands
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including it military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
G7 calls on China to resolve Taiwan dispute
The world’s most powerful democracies have slammed China for “increasing tensions and destabilising the region” over its response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
The G7’s top diplomats on Wednesday said they were “concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the People’s Republic of China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation”.
The statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU, read:
There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.
It urged China not to “unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means”.
They also made clear there was “no change in the respective one-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members”.
[We] encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”
South Korean President won’t be meeting Pelosi in Seoul, on holiday
Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taiwan, the senior US official arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night as part of her Asian tour.
The congresswoman, who is second in line to the US presidency, will on Thursday meet South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
However, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has no plans to meet Pelosi as he is currently on a summer holiday, an official at the presidential office told SCMP.
The official denied earlier press reports that Yoon, who is taking a break at his home in Seoul, may head out to receive Pelosi.
In the first place, there was no such a plan (for Yoon’s meeting with Pelosi) as the president’s vacation schedule coincides with her visit here.”
The presidential office “welcomes” Pelosi’s visit to South Korea and it hopes her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim will be productive, the official said.
Asked about Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, she said: “Our government’s stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation.”
Speculation mounted on social media.
“Because of vacation? No way. Yoon is not meeting Pelosi as he is nunchi-ing around China,” one post read. Had this happened to Yoon’s predecessor – liberal former president Moon Jae-in – conservatives and news media would have “raised hell with it” and accused Moon of nunchi-ing around Beijing, the post added.
China claiming Taiwan’s territory a ‘historical inevitability’, former ambassador to UK says
The former Chinese ambassador to the UK issued a scathing statement overnight, warning the US to stop obstructing China’s “great cause of reunification” and describing the process as a “historical inevitability”.
Liu Xiao Ming said:
The United States should not fantasise about obstructing China’s great cause of reunification. Taiwan is part of China.
Realising complete national reunification is the general trend and a historical inevitability. We will never leave any space for ‘Taiwan independence’ split and interference from external forces.
No matter what way the US supports and condones ‘Taiwan independence’, it will ultimately be a sham, and it will only leave more ugly records of the US grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs in history.
The Taiwan issue was born out of the country’s weakness and chaos, and it will surely end with the rejuvenation of the nation in the future.”
美国不要幻想阻挠中国的统一大业。台湾是中国的一部分。实现国家完全统一是大势所趋，是历史必然。我们绝不会为“台独”分裂和外部势力干涉留下任何空间。美方不论以什么方式支持纵容“台独”，最终都将是竹篮打水一场空，只会在历史上留下更多美国粗暴干涉别国内政的丑陋记录。
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 3, 2022
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美国不要幻想阻挠中国的统一大业。台湾是中国的一部分。实现国家完全统一是大势所趋，是历史必然。我们绝不会为“台独”分裂和外部势力干涉留下任何空间。美方不论以什么方式支持纵容“台独”，最终都将是竹篮打水一场空，只会在历史上留下更多美国粗暴干涉别国内政的丑陋记录。
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 3, 2022
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of tensions between China and Taiwan.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments.
It is approaching 7am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
- China is to begin a series of unprecedented live-fire drills that would effectively blockade the island of Taiwan, just hours after the departure of US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week has sparked fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait.
- Taiwan has characterised the drills as a violation of international law. The drills will last until Sunday afternoon – and will include missile tests and other “military operations” as close as nine miles to Taiwan’s coastline.
- Ahead of the drill, Taiwan said 27 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone.
- Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night under intense global scrutiny, and was met by the foreign minister Joseph Wu and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.
- Pelosi addressed Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday before having public and private meetings with the president, Tsai Ing-wen. “Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” she said, adding that US solidarity with Taiwan was “crucial” in facing an increasingly authoritarian China.
- In a later statement, she said China could not prevent world leaders from travelling to Taiwan “to pay respect to its flourishing democracy”.
- Pelosi’s trip generated condemnation from Beijing and sparked fears of a new Taiwan strait crisis.
- China vowed “consequences” and announced military exercises in waters around the island on Thursday to show its dissatisfaction.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Beijing of planning to violate the international convention on the law of sea, by breaching Taiwan’s sovereign territory.
- Taiwanese authorities have said the proximity to some major ports combined with orders for all aircraft and sea vessels to steer clear of the area amount to a blockade.
- While China’s military often holds live-fire exercises in the strait and surrounding seas, those planned for this week encircle Taiwan’s main island and target areas within its territorial sea.
Pelosi Meets With Taiwan’s President: Live Updates
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The news media and crowds gathered at the Taipei airport on Tuesday to watch the arrival of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-level United States official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
Huang Chao-yuan, a 53-year-old business owner, staked out the area near Songshan airport to watch as Ms. Pelosi’s plane landed, calling the speaker’s visit a “historic moment.”
“I am quite excited about her visit today, because it’s an example that shows the United States does not need to discuss with the C.C.P., she can come here if she wants, and whoever Taiwan invites can come here,” said Ms. Huang, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party. “This incident demonstrates Taiwan’s independence.”
Henry Chang, 32, a videographer who was at the airport to witness Ms. Pelosi’s landing, marveled at the novelty of seeing the arrival of such a high-profile U.S. lawmaker.
“It felt like catching a rare Pokémon,” he said.
He said he was unconcerned that the visit might lead to military conflict. “I feel like a war simply couldn’t happen — everyone will go on with their lives,” he said.
A video provided by a Tibetan activist, Tashi Tsering, showed people on Tuesday night gathering outside the Grand Hyatt Taipei, where Ms. Pelosi was expected to spend the night. A number of them held up banners reading, “The public of Taiwan welcomes US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” “Taiwan is helping” and “Taiwan ≠ China.”
Outside the hotel, several dozen people supporting unification with China protested against Ms. Pelosi’s visit: Some clamored for her to “get out of Taiwan,” and some held banners denouncing her.
“I feel bittersweet on witnessing Pelosi’s landing,” said one man in the crowd, Sam Lin, the owner of a recycling company. “It’s sad to see the rising tensions across the strait, yet I’m also excited to see our reunification with China is becoming more achievable.”
Mr. Lin, 50, added, “I don’t want to see a war, but the current cross-strait relations have reached another stage.”
In contrast to the protest, in the capital’s central business district, Taipei 101 — once the world’s tallest building and a major landmark in the city’s skyline — was lit with messages welcoming Ms. Pelosi.
In Taiwan, many are inured to threats from China, which claims the island as its own territory. A standoff between Washington and Beijing over the speaker’s trip received subdued attention before Tuesday. Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, kept mum in the days before Ms. Pelosi’s arrival, though political advisers close to her have said they welcome visits from U.S. officials.
In a signal of how many in Taiwan have grown weary of China’s threats, Alexander Huang, a top official with the China-friendly Kuomintang, said that he welcomed Ms. Pelosi’s visit and that she had a “rich” schedule ahead of her on the island.
During her visit, Ms. Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan’s Legislature and meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, according to one Taiwanese lawmaker and one local official. She is also scheduled to attend a banquet at Taipei Guest House and visit the National Human Rights Museum.
Mr. Huang said the understated approach to the visit reflected planning designed to avoid exacerbating an already tense situation with China.
“They did not make a statement to the outside world, trying not to antagonize the other side, and had done their best to make the situation in the Taiwan Strait not too tense,” he said.
He said he was most worried about the military response from mainland China — in particular, what China might do after Ms. Pelosi leaves. He said it was possible that China would take moves to further isolate Taiwan internationally. In recent years, China has lured away several nations that recognize Taiwan as a country and cut it off from major international agencies like the World Health Organization.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s military said it would strengthen combat readiness in anticipation of a potential response from China.
Taiwan’s ‘biggest offshore wind farm’ generates its first power
An offshore wind turbine in waters off Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs says it’s targeting 20% renewable energy generation by the middle of this decade.
Billy H.C. Kwok | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A large-scale offshore wind farm in waters off the coast of Taiwan has produced its first power, with those involved in the project describing the news as a “major milestone.”
In a statement Thursday, Danish energy firm Orsted said the first power at the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a facility was delivered on schedule following the installation of its initial set of wind turbines.
Electricity, it said, had been “transferred to Orsted’s onshore substations via array cables, offshore substations, and export cables. The renewable energy was fed into the national grid via Taipower’s substation.” Taipower is a state-owned utility.
Situated 35 to 60 kilometers off Taiwan’s west coast, the scale of Changhua 1 & 2a is considerable, with Orsted describing it as “Taiwan’s biggest offshore wind farm.”
It will have a capacity of approximately 900 megawatts and use 111 turbines from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Capacity refers to the maximum amount of electricity installations can produce, not what they’re necessarily generating.
It’s hoped that construction of the project will wrap up this year. According to Orsted, the facility will eventually generate enough power to meet the needs of 1 million households in Taiwan.
“Delivering the first power as scheduled is a major milestone for both Orsted and Taiwan,” Christy Wang, who is general manager of Orsted Taiwan, said. “This has not been an easy task, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic challenges during the past two years,” Wang later added.
Thursday’s announcement represents a step forward for Taiwan’s offshore wind sector but a report from the Global Wind Energy Council, published in April, highlighted how things have not all been plain sailing.
“Taiwan should have commissioned more than 1 GW [gigawatt] of offshore wind capacity from three projects last year based on the project COD [commercial operation date] plans, but only the 109 MW Changhua demonstration came online in the end,” the Global Wind Report for 2022 said. The delay, the GWEC added, had been “primarily caused by COVID-19 related disruption.”
In Asia, the GWEC’s report puts Taiwan second only to China in terms of planned offshore wind installations in the near to mid-term.
According to the trade association, China is slated to add 39 GW of offshore wind over the next five years, with Taiwan set to install 6.6 GW. Vietnam, South Korea and Japan are seen as adding 2.2, 1.7 and 1 GW respectively.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs says it’s targeting 20% renewable energy generation by the middle of this decade.
“The goal for PV [photovoltaic] installation has been set at 20GW by 2025, while offshore wind power is expected to exceed 5.7GW,” it says. Solar photovoltaic refers to a way of directly converting sunlight into electricity. Authorities in Taiwan also want natural gas to account for 50% of power generation in 2025.
Shifting Taiwan’s generation mix to one where renewables have a larger role represents a big task. Citing data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade says 44.69% of total power generation in 2021 came from coal firing.
Natural gas’ share amounted to 36.77%, with nuclear responsible for 9.63% and renewables 5.94%. Fuel oil and pumped-storage hydroelectricity contributed 1.87% and 1.10%.
Taiwan’s residents fear Russia’s war with Ukraine could preview a Chinese invasion
In Taiwan, where residents have for years been numb to Beijing’s threats and intimidation — including daily incursions into their air defense identification zone, military exercises simulating attacks on the island and cyberattacks — there is a growing realization that the status quo may no longer hold.
“I believe that today’s Ukraine is tomorrow’s Taiwan,” said Lung Wei-chen, a 69-year-old retired soldier from the southern city of Kaohsiung. “Other countries including the United States are not reliable, and we only have ourselves to defend Taiwan.”
To Lung, the similarities between the two global flash points are unsettling. Like Russian President Vladimir Putin, China’s ruling Communist Party has for decades said the self-governed democracy is an “inalienable” part of its history and sovereign territory. Chinese President Xi Jinping, the country’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, has repeatedly reserved the right to use force to “reunite” Taiwan with mainland China.
But government officials and researchers focused on cross-strait tensions say the similarities stop there. They stress differences such as the 100-mile sea barrier between Taiwan and China, Taiwan’s key role in global supply chains and the fact that it is surrounded by U.S. allies such as South Korea and Japan.
Since the Chinese Communist Party’s 1949 victory over the Nationalists, sending them fleeing to Taiwan, residents have lived through periods of shelling, warming ties and bellicose rhetoric — always under the assumption that Beijing would not risk entangling itself in all-out-war to take over the island.
Now, although few residents believe an attack from China is imminent, watching the destruction of Ukrainian cities has made that possibility seem much more real.
“I used to think that it’s not possible for China to attack Taiwan. Now I fear that if Russia is able to win the war, the chances of China using force against Taiwan will rise,” said Marvyn Hsu, a 26-year-old finance researcher in Taipei.
Scholars have called for revising Taiwan’s military doctrine, which maintains that it will never strike first. Groups have started organizing civilian defense training courses, free first-aid sessions and talks on how regular citizens can prepare for war.
The Kuma Academy, an education research center hosting a two-day crash course on traditional and cyberwarfare and modern military science, described the Ukraine attack as a reminder that “we cannot relax, and in peacetime we must prepare for the worst.”
Officials have tried to tamp down alarm, worried not just about fearmongering but also the possibility that pro-China forces will use public alarm to push for better ties with Beijing to avoid Ukraine’s fate.
The day after the invasion began, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen described the situation Taiwan faces as “fundamentally different” while Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said it was “inappropriate” and “demoralizing” to claim that Taiwan would be next.
A senior official working on national security said the Ukraine crisis did not change the government’s assessment of the menace from Beijing, while admitting that it had added a sense of urgency.
“From the Ukraine crisis, there is a lot we must do, but these are things we were doing before. Maybe we should do more and do it faster,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. He cited in particular reforming Taiwan’s reservist system and buying more weapons from the United States.
On Wednesday, the military doubled the length of its now annual mandatory refresher course for Taiwanese men for those selected by lottery. Last month, legislators approved an extra $8.6 billion to the $13 billion annual defense budget.
Some argue that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now entering its second week, has driven home how difficult an invasion of Taiwan would be. China would need to launch what would be history’s largest amphibious attack, and the chance of a U.S. intervention would be high.
“Beijing is taking note of the speed and strength of the international response,” said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. “It is becoming more difficult for anyone inside China to argue that Beijing could subdue Taiwan quickly and without high costs.”
“The [Ukraine war] has united Europe and made Taiwan more secure than ever,” said Kuo Yu-jen, a professor of political science at National Sun Yat-sen University, at a panel chaired by an adviser to the president on the implications of the Ukraine crisis for Taiwan.
Ukraine’s experience is further proof that Taiwan should revise its methods so that it can respond to China’s increased use of “gray zone warfare” aimed at wearing down one’s opponent through intimidation and economic pressure, he added.
“Russian troops had been gathering on the border since March last year, which is already a threat. Ukraine still waited for [the attack] to happen,” he said, comparing the situation with the frequent incursions of Chinese aircraft into Taiwan’s air identification zone.
On Monday, former U.S. defense and security officials led by Mike Mullen, who served as chairman of the joint chiefs, landed in Taiwan for two days of meetings with Tsai, Taiwan’s minister of defense Chiu Kuo-cheng and other top officials in what the Taiwan president’s office described as a show of the “rock solid” U.S.-Taiwan ties.
Residents in Taiwan watching the overwhelming international response to the crisis wonder whether an attack on their homeland would incur the same level of sympathy. Taiwan is not recognized by the United Nations or a member of the World Health Organization and other international bodies because of intense lobbying by Beijing.
“I think the reason why both Europe and the United States sympathize with Ukraine is because they are similar in terms of ethnicity and culture, but for Taiwan, we don’t even have the opportunity to show our faces in the United Nations,” said Ian Cheng, 28, a developer in Taipei. “It’ll be difficult for the West to feel connected with us.”
In Taipei, groups of protesters gather outside of the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission, Russia’s de facto embassy in Taiwan. Many say they are here to support Ukraine and that their own geopolitical flash point is a secondary priority. Others say that while the threat from China does not seem imminent, they will not shy away when the time comes.
“Although I might not be able to fight at the front lines, I can still help build molotov cocktails, just like the Ukrainian women,” said Huang Shu-chen, 52, who sells medical instruments in Taipei. “Taiwan is our home. We need to protect it.”
Taiwan’s leader meets with Mace, Slotkin other US lawmakers in defiance of China
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U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and four other members of Congress traveled to Taiwan this week for a meeting with its president, in an unannounced visit held in defiance of the Chinese government.
“When News broke of our visit to Taiwan, China’s embassy demanded we cancel the trip (we didn’t),” Mace wrote on Twitter about the meeting with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. “We’ve had a productive and meaningful visit throughout the Indo-Pacific region as the first bipartisan US House delegation since the start of COVID. This is just the start.”
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., tweeted that her office “received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip.”
Mace, Slotkin and three other House members met with Tsai to reaffirm America’s “rock-solid” support for the island, which China considers a rogue territory, at the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. Embassy in Taipei.
A Beijing spokesperson claimed the meeting was a breach of the “one-China policy,” the idea that the U.S. doesn’t officially recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty but can maintain nondiplomatic ties with the island.
“That individual U.S. politicians want only challenge the one-China principle and embolden the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces has aroused the strong indignation of 1.4 billion Chinese people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. He added that the unification of Taiwan and China was an “unstoppable historical trend.”
Taiwan has been autonomous since the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
CHINA SAYS US SHOULD HAVE NO ‘ILLUSIONS’ WHEN IT COMES TO TAIWAN
Democratic Reps. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif.; Mark Takano, D-Calif.; and Colin Allred, D-Texas also were part of the delegation.
“Taiwan will continue to step up cooperation with the United States in order to uphold our shared values of freedom and democracy and to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Tsai said in a statement about the meeting.
U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., left, is greeted by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan on Friday. Five U.S. lawmakers met with Tsai in a surprise one-day visit intended to reaffirm America’s “rock solid” support for the self-governing island.
(Taiwan Presidential Office via Associated Press)
The visit was the third by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan this year and came just a few weeks after a group of six Republican members of Congress visited the island.
President Biden said last month that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call had agreed to abide by a decades-old agreement of nonaggression toward the island related to the “one China policy” after Beijing’s military sent a record 145 fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defense zone.
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More recently, China rebuked Biden’s invitation to Taiwan to join a virtual global Democracy summit on Dec. 9 and 10. Beijing called it a “mistake” and urged the U.S. to stick to the “one-China policy,” according to The Guardian.
Retired Brig. Gen. Peter B. Zwack, a Wilson Center global fellow, told Fox News during an appearance on “America’s Newsroom” that the U.S. and the rest of the global community have to support Taiwan with “arms, trainers and … [decide] how … does the world – maybe led by the United States – respond to a China that is globally interconnected and in that sense very vulnerable” to help Taiwan toward independence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.