American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director Raymond Green attends a press conference in Taipei on September 4, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
The new US ambassador to Taiwan said on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) that the democratic island is “not the only target” of China’s “intimidation and coercion”, and more countries are cooperating with Washington to “avoid war”.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has said it will never shy away from using force to take control of the island.
Beijing has increased military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent years and even conducted military drills around the island in May, days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was sworn in.
“Taiwan is not the only target of the PRC’s efforts to use intimidation and coercion to change the status quo,” said Raymond Green, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), using the acronym for China’s official name.
“More and more countries are realizing the importance of collaborating with the United States and other like-minded partners to preserve the rules-based international system,” Mr. Green said during his first press conference as AIT director.
He said US efforts to build coalitions in the region are “not to prepare for war but to prevent it.”
China’s confrontational campaign has also spread to the remote reefs of Southeast Asia and far-flung Japanese islands.
Beijing has deployed military and coast guard ships to assert its claim to almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis.
Taiwan – separated from China by the narrow 180km (110-mile) Taiwan Strait – has its own government, military and currency.
To press its claims, Beijing maintains an almost daily military presence, sending fighter jets, drones and naval ships around Taiwan.
The island’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday night (September 4, 2024) that it had detected military activity in China’s Fujian province across the Taiwan Strait.
“Since yesterday, a variety of PLA aircraft, helicopters and drones have been detected, as well as amphibious ships and roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels loading ground forces, conducting joint landing exercises near Dacheng Bay,” the ministry said, referring to the Chinese military.
It said the ministry was “monitoring the situation.”
As China has increased pressure around the island, Taiwan has sought to strengthen ties with friendly countries while increasing military purchases from its key ally, the United States.
Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but remains Taiwan’s biggest arms supplier, drawing repeated condemnation from China.
Mr Green also said on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) that the United States would not “rule out” co-production of weapons with Taiwan in the future.
Published – September 05, 2024 12:20 am IST