Taiwan on Monday announced heightened military vigilance and alert drills as Chinese warships and coast guard vessels appeared in nearby waters and Beijing imposed airspace restrictions off the Chinese coast.
“All military units are instructed to monitor the activity of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and maintain combat readiness,” Taiwanese media quoted an excerpt from a communiqué from the island’s defence ministry on Monday.
On Sunday night, China nearly doubled the number of ships near Taiwan and on Monday restricted movement in seven airspace zones east of China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces that overlook the Taiwan Strait.
In addition, the island has begun a military readiness exercise. The Chinese side has yet to comment on the measures Taiwan has taken.
China regards Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to achieve reunification. Beijing has also criticised Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for what it calls provocative actions under the guise of diplomacy.
The Taiwan issue dates back to 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed and part of China’s Kuomintang Party settled on the island of Taiwan, naming the island the Republic of China on Taiwan. Beijing insists on the “one China principle,” according to which both the PRC and the Republic of China on Taiwan cannot be recognised at the same time. At the same time, almost all major states have unofficial cultural and economic offices of Taipei.
