Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Raymond Greene attends a press conference in Taipei on September 4, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
The new de facto US ambassador to Taiwan said on Wednesday (Sept 4, 2024) that the democratic island is “not the only target” of China’s “intimidation and coercion”, with more countries working with Washington to “war”.
China claims Taiwan’s self-rule as part of its territory and has said it will never refrain from using force to bring the island under its control.
Beijing has increased military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent years, holding military exercises around the island in May, days after the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
“Taiwan is not the only target of the PRC’s efforts to use intimidation and coercion to change the status quo,” said Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy. he uses the acronym for China. the official name.
“More and more countries are realizing the importance of working with the United States and other like-minded partners to preserve the rules-based international system,” Mr. Greene said at his first press conference as AIT Director.
U.S. efforts to build alliances in the region “are not intended to prepare for war, but to prevent it,” he added.
China’s campaign of confrontation has also extended to remote reefs in Southeast Asia and far-flung Japanese islands.
Beijing has deployed military and coast guard ships to press its claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis.
Taiwan – separated from China by the narrow 180 km long Taiwan Strait – has its own government, military and currency.
To bolster its claims, Beijing maintains a near-daily military presence, deploying fighter jets, drones and naval vessels around Taiwan.
The island’s Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday evening (September 4, 2024) that it had detected military activity in China’s Fujian province across the Taiwan Strait.
“Since yesterday, several types of PLA aircraft, helicopters and drones have been detected, along with amphibious ships and roll-on/roll-off cargo ships loading ground troops and conducting joint landing exercises near Dacheng Bay,” the ministry said. , referring to the Chinese military.
It added that 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 the United States, its key ally.
Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but remained Taiwan’s largest arms supplier, drawing repeated condemnations from China.
Mr. Greene also said on Wednesday (Sept. 4, 2024) that the United States would not “rule out” co-production of weapons with Taiwan in the future.
Published – Sep 5, 2024 12:20 IST
