China's state-owned Global Times on thursday ridiculed Taiwanese and U.S. media are concerned about “harmless weather balloons flying over the island.”
You now have three balloons like this. unusual It passed through central Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, approaching the Taiwan Air Force base. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said only that it would “strictly monitor” balloons and all other objects entering Taiwan's airspace.
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of Global Times He accused Taiwanese and U.S. media of “sensationalizing” the balloons and “hyping” the threat they could pose. Nowhere in the article does anyone explain why a Chinese balloon suddenly appeared in the middle of Taiwan two weeks before an important election.
The Chinese Communist Party newspapers were particularly furious about this. wall street journal (WSJ) For daring to mention that Taiwan may be remembering China's reconnaissance balloons. Big failure It will reach the skies over the United States in February 2023.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen gives a speech at a National Day celebration in front of the Presidential Palace in Taipei, Taiwan, on October 10, 2023 (AP Photo/Chiang Ing-ying)
of WSJ Furthermore, even if the balloons over Taiwan are indeed harmless weather instruments, they may be part of China's efforts to intimidate Taiwanese people into voting for candidates Beijing doesn't like in the upcoming general election. I further surmised that there was. This is a regular feature of China's tyrannical regime, long known among security analysts as “gray zone warfare,” and the Chinese Communist Party does not like it to be discussed or resisted.
An article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Chinese Balloon is Back” cites experts saying mainland China is using gray zone tactics to interfere in Taiwan's local leadership elections. he accused. Such activities “fall short of the standards of military conflict, but are intended to test and intimidate Taiwan,” the article said. It is beyond ridiculous to suggest that the mainland is relying on civilian goods as a means of intimidation to interfere in Taiwan's local elections.
The use of so-called “spy balloons” to shape the “mainland China threat” narrative is not new. Last February, the United States claimed that the Chinese balloon was definitely a Chinese reconnaissance balloon and made a fuss about shooting it down with an F-22 fighter jet. After a nearly five-month investigation, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that the downed Chinese civilian drone did not collect any intelligence while transiting the United States.
Although it is clear that weather balloons pose no threat to anyone, the U.S. and Taiwanese media outlets employ clumsy and ridiculous tactics, using weather balloons to perpetuate the “mainland threat theory.” Their goal is to inflame tensions across the Taiwan Strait and make it easier for pro-independence forces to play the “anti-mainland card” in elections.
This high dudgeon comes from the Chinese, who routinely fill the skies around Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) with fighter jets, and it's terrifyingly funny. threaten They captured the island and stressed the outnumbered pilots. On days when they don't want to argue that there is no such thing as a gray zone war, the Chinese like to say: boast About how effective their bullying tactics are.
On this special occasion, Global Times They shouted about how unfair it is for the US and Taiwan to portray China as a bully and election meddler. Editors meddle in Taiwan's elections by dragging out “Chinese military experts” to hype gray zone war threats and scare Taiwanese into supporting anti-China candidates claimed that it was actually the United States.
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Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Wu Qian said that outgoing Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's party, the Democratic Progressive Party, was touting “mainland intervention” in an attempt to “produce conflict and deceive voters.” He said loudly that it no longer works. This old trick is being discovered by more and more Taiwanese residents. ”
In fact, according to the latest opinion polls, Tsai's successor and vice president, William Lai, is expected to win the election, giving the Democratic Progressive Party its third consecutive term since Taiwan began holding democratic presidential elections in 1996. It was the first political party to gain power. This is what Taiwanese voters think. generally indifferent Although he has expressed his opinion about Chinese balloons, he still supports the Democratic Progressive Party.
Taiwan's election law requires a 10-day suspension of voting before elections, so the last vote will be held this Tuesday.Rai is take the lead Opinion polls this week show Hou Yuxi of the pro-Beijing Kuomintang Party (KMT) following within the margin of error in a three-way race. Some of the latest opinion polls show that Mr. Lai's lead has narrowed, and Mr. Hou or Taiwan People's Party candidate Ke Wen-ji could come back to victory.
On Thursday, Taiwan's government sparked another controversy in the final stages of the election. announced Restrictions on journalists from China during the election period. This restriction does not apply to Chinese journalists already in Taiwan or those coming from Hong Kong or Macau.
Some observers described the new rules as a prudent precaution against China sending hordes of agents with press passes into Taiwan to influence or interfere with elections. Others saw it as a sign of “deep-seated mistrust” between Tsai's government and China. The KMT accused the Democratic Progressive Party of lacking “confidence” in its clear lead in the polls by blocking Chinese journalists from participating.
