China’s aggressive military drills on Taiwan were part of a larger plan to invade the country, according to Taiwan’s foreign minister.
Reporters in Taipei were told by Joseph Wu, Foreign Minister of China, that Taiwan would not be intimidated or threatened by China’s aggression. However, he said that China had used military drills to prepare for Taiwan’s invasion.
First reported by Reuters: “It is conducting large scale military exercises and missile launch, as well cyber-attacks and disinformation, in an effort to weaken public morale, Taiwan.” China could try to derail the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by reorganizing its actions after the drills are over.
Wu didn’t give a time frame for when Taipei believed Beijing might order troops to invade the Island. However, some reports suggest it could happen as China and the U.S. prepare to hold elections in 2024.
The Pentagon disagrees with this assessment. Dr. Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense, Policy, told reporters Monday that Beijing was “trying to coerce” the international community.
“We are not going take the bait and it won’t work. He said that although it’s a fake crisis, that doesn’t mean that we should play into it. “What we will do instead is continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits us to.”
Beijing crossed the unofficial border which separates Taiwan and mainland China for the first time when it conducted a series of military drills after Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taipei.
Chinese officials suggested that her visit was an American attempt to push for Taiwanese independence. They launched ballistic missile testing and simulated air and sea attacks around Taiwan.
Pelosi and her White House team maintained that the visit was not intended to alter the status quo in the region, but rather to show Washington’s support for democracy around the world.
China said Monday that it will conduct anti-submarine operations and sea assault operations in Taiwan. This adds to international concerns about China’s continued pressure on Taipei’s defenses.
