KAOHSIUNG — The People’s Republic of China does unprecedented things almost every day. The country’s coast guard has briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat, military aircraft have moved closer and closer to Taiwan, and harassment of Taiwanese fishing boats in the South China Sea has increased.
“This is a problem,” said Dean Karalekas, author of “Civil-Military Relations in Taiwan: Identity and Transformation.” “Because these unprecedented actions are creating a new normal. Beijing is using the same salami cutting tactics to seize the South China Sea. “I hope they will stand by and watch as the US occupies Taiwan.” ”
This strategy has been in place for some time, although the world has begun to pay more attention to China’s hostile actions since former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2023.
“China’s plan to ‘normalize’ military invasions was planned long before Pelosi’s visit,” Taipei Times columnist and political commentator C. Donovan Smith told Fox News Digital. Ta. “The military exercises were too complex and logistically complex to plan in the short period between her travel announcement and her arrival in Taiwan.”
Taiwan election: Ruling party candidate wins in close presidential election, crushing China’s ambitions
President-elect William Lai will vote on January 13, 2024 in the southern city of Tainan. (AP Photo/Ng Hang-guan)
It also aimed to surround Taiwan with a mock “quarantine” and conduct missile “tests” in 2023, as well as to sway Taiwanese voters toward politicians and parties friendly to China. But as in the past three elections here, Beijing’s maneuvers have been ineffective. In January, Taiwan elected current Vice President William Lai to replace President Tsai Ing-wen, who had served two terms. Both Tsai and Li are members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Taiwan’s next president has repeatedly promised not to change any of the policies implemented over the past eight years. However, Beijing views William Lai as a “separatist” and supporter of Taiwanese independence. Mr. Rai was previously a vocal supporter of independence, but he is now backtracking on that. However, China neither forgives nor forgets. Many political experts believe the Chinese government will increase pressure on Lai once he takes office later this month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves at an event to introduce new members of the Politburo Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
A recent example of China trying to establish this “new normal” is its changes to airspace regulations. China is nearing completion of a major new airport serving Xiamen, Fujian province. However, just 10.9 miles away is Kinmen Island, which has been part of the Republic of China (Republic of China), known as Taiwan, since 1949.
Kinmen Airport is of strategic importance to Taiwan. In 2015, the two countries finalized an agreement that rerouted the flight path, which was too close for Taiwan’s comfort. However, in February, the Chinese government unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and announced that it would begin operating new air routes from May 16 to “further optimize the airspace” around the region.
For Chinese military planners, Taiwan is not an easy island to invade.
A fighter jet flies in the direction of Taiwan, as seen from the 68 nautical mile scenic spot closest to Taiwan Island in mainland China, in Pingtan, southeastern China’s Fujian Province, on August 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Ng Hang-guan)
Karalekas said few China watchers think China chose this date arbitrarily.
“Beijing has a pattern of testing new leaders of enemy countries. They tested Mr. Bush with the EP-3E reconnaissance plane incident. They tested (then Japanese Prime Minister) Naoto Kan with the Senkaku Islands ship collision incident. We can expect them to test Mr. Lai in the following ways.”By the time he takes office on May 20th, some kind of mini-crisis will be triggered. ”
“I think China is really becoming a growing threat,” Eric Su told FOX News Digital. Hsu lives in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s largest city, where she works on historical restoration projects and hosts a podcast about Taiwan’s history.
He’s concerned not just about military hardware, but also about what he calls “brainwashing videos and KOL (key opinion leader) movements, a term used to describe internet influencers.” He said there was.
A military vehicle equipped with a U.S.-made TOW 2A missile during live-fire training in Pingtung, Taiwan, July 3, 2023. (Reuters/An Wang)
Mr. Su places much of the blame at the feet of local opposition parties, which many see as friendly to Beijing. Regarding the current domestic political situation, he said Taiwan is facing “not only enemies at the door, but also enemies within.” Southern Taiwan is a Democratic Progressive Party stronghold, but not everyone in the south agrees that the opposition is a problem.
Another Kaohsiung resident, self-employed businessman and mother Lin, believes the Democratic Progressive Party is not sincere in its outreach to China.
“They’ve had eight years, and now they’re going to get at least four more years,” Lin told Fox News Digital. “What Taiwan needs is courageous leaders and people willing to try new solutions, and we don’t see that in the current Democratic Progressive Party leadership.”
Taiwan’s next president selects new foreign and defense ministers amid growing threat of annexation by China
Soldiers disembark from an AAV7 amphibious assault vehicle during a Hanguang military exercise simulating a Chinese People’s Liberation Army invasion of the island in Pingtung, Taiwan, July 28, 2022. (Annabelle Chee/Getty Images)
The main opposition party, the Kuomintang, denies that it is “pro-China” and instead insists that it is “pro-peace.” Chinese dictator Xi Jinping has met twice with Nationalist Party leader Ma Ying-jeou, the first time in Singapore in 2015 when Ma was the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the first time since World War II that the top leaders of China and Taiwan sat in the same room. In 2015, both sides ignored formal titles, choosing to refer to each other as “Mr. Xi” and “Mr. Ma.” On April 10th, Mr. Xi and former Taiwanese president Mr. Ma met again, this time in Beijing.
Some experts view these talks between the Kuomintang and China favorably, arguing that any dialogue is good, or at least a way to save face as China continues its coercive “unification” policy. and China now claims it may be necessary. achieved by force. Those inside and outside Taiwan see Ma’s talks as coming too close to accepting the idea that Taiwan is part of China.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
On April 8, a Chinese warship conducts military exercises near the Matsu Islands, which are under Taiwanese control and are close to the Chinese coast. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)
As things stand, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party says it is satisfied with the status quo, including retaining Taiwan’s official name, the Republic of China. The Kuomintang generally favors talks with China based on the idea of a “consensus” of mutual respect, which ultimately means that both sides agree to be “China,” but this “one Both sides are free to interpret what “China” means.
Michael Turton, a newspaper columnist and political commentator based in central Taiwan, said the problem with the Kuomintang’s thinking is that “Xi’s goal is to completely conquer Taiwan, just like he did with Hong Kong.” Ta. Two of China’s ambassadors abroad have already indicated that the Taiwanese will conquer Taiwan. Those who oppose Beijing’s rule will be sent to concentration camps, but given this goal, how can we have a dialogue of mutual respect? ”
