Saber-Rattling China Harasses Taiwan to Protest Visit by Top U.S. Diplomat
News Compiled and Reported by Taiwan Weekly
Under Secretary of State Keith Krach of the United States arrived in Taiwan on the evening of the September 17. As U.S.-Taiwan relations warms, mainland China announced military exercises near the Taiwan Strait. On September 18, 12 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait, which was long respected by both sides. On September 19, another 19 fighters harassed Taiwan. PLA warships also trespassed on the east side of the strait in their exercise. Taiwan’s armed forces upgraded its combat readiness and also operated its anti-aircraft missiles to track and monitor any hostile activities. Its missile frigates were also ordered to sail out in response to the situation. When Taiwanese fighter jets were scrambled into the air to drive away the intruders, they made a very serious statement in their broadcast to PLA jets for the first time: "Turn back and leave immediately or bear all consequences."
The U.S. Department of State issued a statement on September 17 that Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, who is in charge of economic growth, energy, and the environment, would visit Taiwan to attend the memorial service of the late President Lee Teng-hui on September 19. On September 18, Krach went to the Executive Yuan to call on Premier Su Tseng-Chang and later was received by President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential dinner at the presidential residence in the evening. He left Taiwan on September 19 after attending Lee’s memorial service.
China’s Most Serious Provocation Since 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense publicized the provocation by PLA aircrafts on September 18 and 19 in Taiwan’s northwest, southwest air space crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait to as close as 37 nautical miles of Taiwan’s shoreline, and even invaded Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zones. Arrays of PLA fighter jets, bombers and anti-submarine airplanes were involved in the operations.
On September 18, when the Ministry of National Defense was conducting military simulation for the 36th Han Kuang Exercise, however, Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa and Chief of the General Staff Huang Shu-kuang had to leave their seats and entered the Hengshan Armed Forces Joint Operation Command Post to cope with the provocation of PLA aircrafts and ships in the Strait. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced Beijing’s military exercises during Krach’s visit to Taiwan on September 18 and said that he would ignore China's strong military intimidation.
Taiwan’s judgement on the situation was that PLA’s provocative action was a schematic, actual combat exercises targeting Taiwan. The scale and measures were indeed different from the past. Since the PLA ground forces did not assemble abnormally, it was concluded that this was a deliberate harassment, therefore Taiwan’s army did not upgrade its overall combat readiness. It only improved parts of the air defense mechanisms including ground missiles, air wings, air and sea reconnaissance cruisers. Combat readiness was still guided by the "rules for dealing with emergencies during the period of regular military readiness", and the principle of "no provocation, no cowardice, and avoidance of accidental conflicts" should be observed in a head-on situation lest any misunderstandings should cause unexpected reactions to the cross-strait situation.
U.S. to Approve Additional Arms Sale to Taiwan
CNN quoted information from Congress and the executive branch on September 17, reporting that the Trump administration would soon officially approve the sale of General Atomics MQ-9B Reaper units to Taiwan. The funding for the procurement and related equipment and project support is estimated to be $600 million.
American officials have recently visited Taiwan successively, and the U.S. government has announced several arms sales plans to Taiwan. The government in Taiwan has declared on multiple occasions that the state of U.S.-Taiwan relations is at its best, but it triggered a strong reaction from the other side of the Taiwan Strait. The spokesperson of mainland China’s Ministry of National Defense Ren Guoqiang said on September 18 the eastern theater of operations of the PLA organized actual combat exercises near the Taiwan Strait and this was a legitimate and necessary action taken in response to the current situation in the Taiwan Strait to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and thwart all external interferences and "Taiwan independence" movement.
Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang said on September 19 that he would not like to see an escalation of tensions in cross-strait relations. The United States has time and again shown goodwill towards Taiwan, but the PLA has steadily increased its hostility. The KMT cautions mainland China that excessive military exercises and intrusions will only push the Taiwanese people further away, and cross-strait relations may even spiral down to an irreversible deterioration and to the brink of war. Former President Ma Ying-jeou said that people should understand the role played by the Republic of China in Asia. “Instead of becoming a pawn for others, we hope to become a bridge to peace, not a fuse of war.”
Mainland China’s Air Force expert Fu Qianshao said that Taiwan’s so-called airspace is also China’s airspace. The PLA’s war patrols are uncontroversial, let alone the so-called central Taiwan Strait. Under Secretary Krach’s visit to Taiwan is seriously stepping on the red line, and the mainland may normalize the military confrontation and that the governments on both sides of the strait should resume dialogue as exercise. Mainland Chinese military expert Soong Zhongping said that the PLA’s military exercises are extremely intensive and are all actual combat and targeted exercises in nature. This is to prepare for strengthened military struggles. PLA can transform the exercises into real military operations at any time.
From:
https://udn.com/news/story/10930/4872002