"Chinese Warships Cross Median Line at an Average of 7 Ships per Day"
US Politician Visits Taiwan Again... Fifth Time This Month
"May Pressure US by Blocking Taiwan Strait Like Iran"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] Since Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan, the Chinese military has frequently crossed the "median line," an implicit boundary with Taiwan, escalating military provocations and heightening military tensions between the two sides. The U.S. government has condemned China's "New Normal" strategy aimed at turning the Taiwan Strait area into a conflict zone, stating it is unacceptable. The Taiwanese government has also taken strong measures, including firing live warning shots at Chinese drones that intruded into Taiwan's airspace for the first time, pushing the Taiwan Strait to the brink of a crisis.
According to Bloomberg on the 31st (local time), Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense stated in its annual report submitted to the legislature, "The Chinese military frequently crosses the median line under the pretext of military exercises," adding, "Chinese fighter jets cross the median line almost daily, and an average of seven Chinese warships are detected near the median line each day." The ministry warned, "Through these provocative acts, China is testing the possibility of a blockade of Taiwan by military force while verifying its blockade capabilities using diplomatic and economic retaliatory measures."
Taiwan's Liberty Times also reported, "Since Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on the 3rd, 398 Chinese military aircraft have crossed the median line," noting, "Previously, Chinese military aircraft mainly entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and then turned back, but now more than five aircraft cross the median line daily."
The median line in the Taiwan Strait is an unofficial boundary declared in 1955 by U.S. Air Force General Benjamin Davis to prevent military clashes between China and Taiwan. While the Chinese government adheres to the "One China" principle, asserting Taiwan is part of China, it has refrained from military provocations crossing the median line to avoid conflicts with the U.S. and Taiwan.
The U.S. government criticizes China's ongoing military provocations as a "New Normal" strategy to turn the Taiwan Strait into a conflict zone, disregarding the previously established median line and attempting to set a new boundary. On the 29th, John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator, warned in a press briefing about China's repeated drone and military aircraft intrusions into Taiwan, stating, "We will not tolerate China's attempts to create a new normal in the Taiwan Strait."
Visits by U.S. politicians to Taiwan are also continuing. Doug Ducey, Republican Governor of Arizona, visited Taiwan on the night of the 30th for a three-day trip. Governor Ducey visited to strengthen semiconductor cooperation with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and to meet with Taiwan's leadership, including President Tsai Ing-wen.
With this being the fifth visit by a U.S. politician this month alone, the Chinese government has strongly protested. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned at a briefing, "Taiwan is part of Chinese territory, and there is only one China in the world," urging the U.S. to cease official exchanges with Taiwan in accordance with the One China principle.
The Taiwanese government has also shown a tougher response as Chinese provocations continue. On the 30th, the Taiwanese military fired live warning shots for the first time when a Chinese drone entered border posts near Kinmen. The New York Times (NYT) analyzed, "The Taiwanese government believes China is using a 'gray zone strategy' by continuously provoking near the median line to weaken Taiwan's vigilance, prompting a tougher response."
Experts warn that China's continuation of the New Normal strategy in the Taiwan Strait is a diplomatic card to warn the U.S. of the possibility of a blockade of the Taiwan Strait, one of the world's major maritime transport chokepoints. Just as Iran used the Strait of Hormuz blockade as leverage in negotiations with the U.S., China may attempt to blockade the Taiwan Strait whenever disputes with the U.S. escalate. According to Bloomberg, out of approximately 5,400 container ships operating worldwide from January to July this year, about 2,600 ships, or 48%, passed through the Taiwan Strait.
Brian Clark, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an interview, "China will continue to exert efforts to make it appear that Taiwan is blockaded," adding, "They will showcase their capabilities to gain an advantageous position in negotiations with the U.S."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
