Taiwan’s top government official has accused China of destabilizing the region through its continuous military operations, as Beijing announced the deployment of naval forces to the Western Pacific for training exercises.
Premier Cho Jung-tai made the remarks Tuesday during a media briefing in Taipei, pointing to China’s persistent military activities as a major threat to regional stability. China considers the democratically-run island nation to be part of its territory and has increased both military and diplomatic pressure while refusing dialogue requests from President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing calls a “separatist.”
The Premier’s comments came one day before the second anniversary of Lai’s inauguration. Cho highlighted his concerns about Beijing’s military posture in the region.
“The People’s Republic of China continues to conduct military exercises of various scales and types in the Taiwan Strait region, the Indo-Pacific region, the South China Sea, and even around Japan, affecting navigational safety,” he said.
“This is the greatest source of regional unease and instability.”
Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office had not provided a response to requests for comment regarding Cho’s statements.
On the same day, China’s military announced that a naval carrier group headed by the Liaoning had been dispatched to unspecified “relevant waters” in the Western Pacific region. Chinese forces conduct operations near Taiwan on an almost daily basis.
According to a military statement, the vessels will conduct live ammunition exercises and additional training maneuvers designed to “test and enhance the realistic combat training capabilities of the forces.”
“This is a routine training organised in accordance with the annual plan, which aims to enhance the military’s capability to fulfil its missions, and is fully in compliance with international law and practice.”
The Premier restated Taiwan’s position as a “sovereign and independent country” using its official designation, the Republic of China, while renewing appeals for diplomatic engagement.
“We still hope for healthy and orderly exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and for dialogue based on equality and dignity. This has been our consistent principle.”
President Lai is scheduled to conduct a press conference Wednesday morning to commemorate his second year in office. According to his administration, the President will present his “future national vision and policy direction” during the anniversary event.
Domestically, Lai confronts significant obstacles as opposition parties control the majority of parliamentary seats, using their advantage to block government initiatives, particularly defense funding, while advancing their own legislative agenda.
Parliamentary opposition members attempted to impeach Lai on Tuesday, but the effort was unsuccessful. The vote was largely ceremonial since it required support from two-thirds of legislators, and the opposition lacks sufficient numbers to reach that threshold.
