Taiwan has condemned China’s recent launch of Joint Sword-2024B military drill around Taiwan describing it as provocative and destabilizing. The launch was made on October 14, 2024.
While emphasizing need for regional peace, Taiwanese government in a statement issued by Andy Yih-Ping Liu, Representative/Chief of Mission in Nigeria expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions and therefore urged China to prioritize stability in the region.
“This latest military maneuver is just one instance of China’s persistent efforts to intimidate Taiwan and assert dominance in the area.
“China has previously deployed military aircraft and vessels near Taiwan as a means of demonstrating power and issuing warnings to Taiwan and its allies. Despite Taiwan’s unwavering resilience in the face of such provocations, the situation remains fraught with tension”, the statement said.
Fortunately, according to Andy Yih-Ping Liu, the global community has taken note of China’s aggressive stance towards Taiwan.
He said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week publicly emphasized that Taiwan’s National Day address was a routine activity and that China should not use the event as a pretext for engaging in any provocative actions.
He also cited reaction to the aggression by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that expressed serious concern over China’s joint military drill, issuing a statement reaffirming the United Kingdom’s interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which it said was of critical importance to global prosperity.
“On its part, the European Union through the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a statement reaffirmed staunch support for Cross Strait peace and stability, pointing out European Union’s interest in the preservation of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion”.
Read also: Regime security is not national security and other lessons from China
Andy Yih-Ping Liu in the statement also cited reaction to the Chinese aggression by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba who pointed out that peace and security in and around the Taiwan Strait were an extremely important issue to the region. “The government of Australia has also stated that it is paying close attention to the Taiwan Strait situation, calling on China to show restraint, while underscoring the importance of cross-strait peace and stability”.
The statement said in all these, Taiwanese citizens take pride in their democratic way of life and are resolute in defending it.
“We possess a strong identity and refuse to yield to Chinese coercion or intimidation. It is imperative for the international community to unite in solidarity with the 23 million peace and freedom-loving people of Taiwan in forging closer connections and interactions”.
The further cited President Lai Ching-te’s October 10 address, where he emphasized that “Taiwan was willing to work with China to address climate change, combat communicable diseases, and maintain regional security in the pursuit of peace and mutual prosperity for the well-being of both peoples.”
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