The Chinese military maneuvers launched in retaliation for Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan are the forerunner of something much more serious. That is the thesis on which the Taiwanese government is working, which has already openly accused China to be preparing what would be a rehearsal for a royal invasion of the island. A “strong provocation”, according to the Asian island, which could open a military conflict with unforeseeable consequences for the rest of the world.
This Saturday, the People’s Liberation Army of China has continued with these alleged maneuvers for the third consecutive day. According to Taiwan, there have been several military aircraft and warship raids. Some of them even crossed the imaginary line in the strait, which serves as a natural border between the two places. For decades, this has been tacitly respected by China and Taiwan. After Beijing has decided to cross it, in Taipei they understand that a mock frontal attack on the island is taking place.
Throughout this Saturday, Beijing has launched up to 11 missiles in waters north, south and east of Taiwan. One of these devices has come to fly over the island, although it has done so at a height that did not represent a threat, according to the Taiwanese authorities. This operation is added to the one on Friday, which already alarmed Taipei for sighting near its coasts fighter planes, bombers, destroyers or drones.
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The reason that leads to think that Beijing may be preparing a real attack is the depth of its incursions. If what happened these days is compared with the 1990 crisis between the two countries, China has moved much closer to the island now than it was 32 years ago.. So the missile launches, framed in these maneuvers, would have much more chance of hitting Taiwanese territory.
In a message posted on its official Twitter account, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has assured that the objective of this attack simulation would be a “high-value asset“, without specifying more details about it. What has led the Taiwanese government to issue alerts and deploy air and naval patrols. Measures to which it has added the activation of its land-based missile systems.
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Live fire and missile launch
The movements of the People’s Liberation Army (EPL, the Chinese Army) are part of the military maneuvers that it has been carrying out since Thursday and that will last until Sunday in retaliation for Pelosi’s visit. So far, these have included live fire and the launch of long-range missiles.
These exercises take place in six zones around the island, one of them about 20 kilometers off the coast of Kaohsiung, the main city in southern Taiwan. Although China has carried out other drills in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, the ones this week are different because “cover a larger areainvolve more military elements and are expected to be highly effective,” according to Chinese defense experts quoted by local media.
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Taiwan has described the Chinese military presence in the aforementioned areas as a “blockade”, with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen calling the “deliberately elevated military threat” from China as “irresponsible”.
China, which has called Pelosi’s visit a “farce” and “deplorable betrayal,” claims sovereignty over the island. Also considers Taiwan a rogue province since the nationalists of the Kuomintang withdrew there in 1949, after losing the civil war against the communists.
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Blinken admits increased tension
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, acknowledged this Saturday that the “Tensions” between the US and China “are growing”. Although he has pointed out that in times of crisis it is especially important to “maintain dialogue” and leave “the doors open for diplomacy.”
At a press conference in Manila, as part of his trip to Asia, Blinken assured that his country and the world have “a special interest” in maintaining diplomacy. So he has assured that The US has held “multiple talks” with Chinaat a time when the world is cautiously watching the escalation of tensions following the visit to Taiwan of the president of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
“I think maintaining dialogue is even more important when tensions between the two countries are on the rise and other nations expect us to maintain dialogue“, has sustained the high position of the Joe Biden administration.
