Behind the Taiwan issue

[Randy W]

GT editor-in-chief Hu Xijin: If US and Taiwan island cross the red line, PLA fighter jets will fly over the island. The mainland needs a special opportunity to take the step. If Tsai participates in the summit, that would become such an opportunity.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1231317.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4365102803570586

US, Taiwan crossing the red line will create historic opportunity for PLA fighter jets to fly over island: Global Times editorial

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The US needs to follow APEC's practices if it wants to invite Taiwan. Otherwise, the summit will be a severe escalation of intervening in the Taiwan question. The Chinese mainland will never sit back and tolerate the US and the island of Taiwan break the bottom line. By then, there will be unprecedented storms in the Taiwan Straits.

We warn Washington and the island that so-called democracy is not an excuse to safely push "Taiwan independence." If Washington creates a scene in which Tsai attends the meeting with leaders of the US and other countries, it is to publicly recognize the island's status as a "country," break the political status quo of the Taiwan Straits from the outside. Beijing will have no choice but to take resolute measures. There will be decisive counterattacks to defend the one-China principle.

In 1995, Taiwan regional leader Lee Teng-hui visited the US in the name of attending events organized by Cornell University Alumni Reunion. This resulted in a serious Taiwan Straits crisis. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) fired missiles into the waters around the island. If Biden invites Tsai to participate in the summit, it will be more serious in nature. Beijing will respond more intensely than it did in 1995. In that case, our response needs to form a long-term effect against "independence" and promote reunification. We should not be confined to a temporary response.

 

 

[Randy W]

PLA warplane enters Taiwanese military target zone minutes before drill begins

• The island’s air force scrambles jets to shadow 11 aircraft which included fighters, bombers and surveillance planes
• One Y-8 electric warfare aircraft is said to have entered the firing target zone, ignoring warnings that a military exercise was about to begin

A PLA Y-8 aircraft entered a Taiwanese military target zone minutes before a firing exercise was due to begin, according to local media reports. Photo: Handout

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The six fighter jets, two bombers and three surveillance aircraft flew into Taiwan’s southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ) between 9.30am and 10.22am. The Taiwanese air force responded by scrambling jets to shadow the PLA warplanes, issuing radio warnings and deploying air defence missile systems to monitor their activity, the island’s defence ministry said.

According to a public announcement by the island’s navy, a joint flight level drill with the Taiwanese air force was due to begin in the same area at 10.30am and last until 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon.

 . . .

“Since autumn is the high season for the PLA’s landing drill, it’s predictable that more bigger scale exercises will be staged in the near future, which is the old tactics for Beijing to warn and intimidate Taiwanese people.”

There have been 391 sorties by PLA warplanes into Taiwan’s ADIZ so far this year, including the largest ever incursion on June 15, when 28 military aircraft were spotted.

 

 

[Randy W]

However, Lithuania undermined its sound economic and trade cooperation with the Chinese mainland after it allowed the island of Taiwan to set up a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan," which is in direct violation of the one-China principle.

Just to make sure everyone knows they are petty . . .

China may cut rail links with Lithuania in direct blow to Baltic nation's economy: report

from the Global Times 

The "China Post" CR Express 1st block train is unloading in Vilnius, Lithuania, April 14, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

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Direct rail links between China and Lithuania may be suspended, according to Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, on Saturday, citing an authoritative source.

 . . .

"This could happen because Lithuania is replaceable. Alternatively, China can export goods to Europe by transporting them through Russia and Poland," Zhang Hong, an Eastern European studies expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday.

"There is an old Chinese saying that goes, 'Harmony brings wealth.' International economic and trade cooperation is also based on sincerity and mutual respect, and thus Lithuania's incorrect foreign policy approach will make it lose a promising trade partner and become more isolated," Zhang said, noting that Belarus has suspended oil shipments through Lithuania.

 . . .

However, Lithuania undermined its sound economic and trade cooperation with the Chinese mainland after it allowed the island of Taiwan to set up a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan," which is in direct violation of the one-China principle.

"The small European country will be hoisted by its own petard by acting as a 'chess piece' in the US' strategy against China," Wang Yiwei, director of the institute of international affairs at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Saturday.

"The buffoon miscalculated China's economic influence by overestimating itself in a desperate bid to gain more benefits. Lithuania is sacrificing its national interests by cooperating with the unreliable US," Wang said.

Bilateral trade between China and Lithuania grew by 16.9 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2021, despite the impact of COVID-19. Moreover, China in March approved 20 Lithuanian milk companies for registration in China.

China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday urged the Lithuanian government to immediately correct its wrong decision that has undermined business confidence and take concrete measures to create favorable conditions for economic and trade cooperation.

 

 

[Randy W]

No group is too small to escape the attention of Beijing bureaucrats scouring applications to attend United Nations functions, who correct anyone failing to call Taiwan a Chinese province.. Among the groups that got reminders are a yoga community, a high school and a nonprofit devoted to protecting the moon.

from the WSJ on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/WSJ/posts/10161351979133128

 

China Makes Sure Everyone Writes Taiwan’s Name Just So—Even a Colorado High School
No group is too small or obscure to escape the attention of Beijing bureaucrats scouring applications to attend United Nations functions

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China sits on the U.N. Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which authorizes groups big and small to participate at U.N. functions. At its publicly held meetings, any representative can hold up an application. Chinese bureaucrats scour each group that comes before the committee, scrutinizing every nook and cranny of their websites for references to Taiwan, say researchers who’ve studied the committee. If groups don’t include Beijing’s preferred language, China asks the committee to request changes.

At a committee meeting in May, China requested that Regis Jesuit change how it refers to Taiwan. Soon afterward, the committee emailed the school to point out a year-old article on its website about a student joining the Girl Up Teen Advisory Board, alongside youths from countries including Taiwan, Ms. Vela said.

“No one was ever going to randomly stumble upon that webpage,” Ms. Vela said.

She found the request odd but added “Province of China” to the article as requested. A week ago, the U.N. committee endorsed her application.

During the committee’s summer session that ended Friday, China cited improper Taiwan terminology to stall applications from at least six other groups, including the World Bicycle Industry Association, a French nature society called the Association of 3 Hedgehogs and For All Moonkind, a volunteer team of space lawyers trying to preserve lunar landing sites so they don’t become tourist traps in the far-off future.

“They are consistent and bullish about it,” said Eleanor Openshaw, whose nonprofit, the International Service for Human Rights, closely follows the committee. “And they will not sleep until an NGO makes a change that they seek.”

 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

#环球时报Editorial: Sending PLA fighter jets over the island of Taiwan is a step we must take. The move will pose a fundamental warning to the Taiwan authorities and bring about reconstruction of the situation across the Taiwan Straits. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234177.shtml

How could they make it more clear that their "province" is under military threat?

环球时报 is Huánqiú shíbào, or Global Times

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4464534533627412

PLA jets will eventually patrol over Taiwan: Global Times editorial
By Global Times
Published: Sep 13, 2021 10:58 PM

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Sending PLA fighter jets over the island of Taiwan is a step we must take. The move will pose a fundamental warning to the Taiwan authorities and bring about reconstruction of the situation across the Taiwan Straits. It will be a clear declaration of China's sovereignty over Taiwan island, and create unprecedented conditions for us to further implement this sovereignty.

The "airspace" over the Taiwan island belongs to the airspace of China. The so-called middle line of the Taiwan Straits has never been recognized by the Chinese mainland. Therefore, there is sufficient legal basis for the PLA fighter jets to fly over the island. Previously, PLA fighter jets did not fly over Taiwan. That was out of consideration for taking care of the emotions and feelings of Taiwan residents and out of the goodwill to maintain stability across the Straits. Now that the DPP authority has gone completely hostile toward the mainland and is willing to play a role as a pawn of the US in strategically containing the Chinese mainland, it is time for us to take back the favor we granted to the island in the past and prepare to exercise the sovereignty of sending fighter jets to patrol the Taiwan island.

 

 

[Randy W]

#Taiwan is no longer a “card” that could only be played by the US to pressure China, as the Chinese mainland can also effectively counter US provocation by undertaking massive military actions around the island of Taiwan to put pressure back on US: expert. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235761.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4540541369360061

PLA presence around Taiwan ‘targets secessionism, foreign forces’

China able to counter US move of ‘playing Taiwan card’ by massive military actions

By 

Yang Sheng, Liu Xuanzun and Leng Shumei
Published: Oct 07, 2021 09:56 PM Updated: Oct 07, 2021 10:50 PM

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It is impossible for any foreign force to deter or stop the process of China's reunification as the mainland is determined to crack down on all kinds of foreign intervention and capable of doing so, and could reunify the island by force if necessary, Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"The only thing that matters for the US and its allies is that how big a price they want to pay to test China's strength and determination on this matter," Yuan noted. 

 

 

[Randy W]

US should stop eyeing too much on China’s hypersonic missiles and broaden its horizons: Global Times editorial

By Global TimesPublished: Oct 17, 2021 08:21 PM

A formation of JL-2 missiles takes part in a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)
 

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It is meaningless to discuss the credibility of the FT report. But it is important to note the unstoppable trend that China is narrowing the gap with the US in some key military technologies as China is continuously developing its economic and technological strength. China doesn't need to engage in an "arms race" with the US - it is capable of weakening the US' overall advantages over China by developing military power at its own pace.

In the long term, the comparison between the military powers of China and the US will be in the following paradigm：The US' overall military advantage will be maintained, while its air force and navy have higher quality and its global deployment and projection capabilities will be unmatched by China's. Meanwhile, China won't have any will to globally challenge the US' dominant position in military sphere, and the US shouldn't worry about losing its military hegemony.

However, China's military buildup will focus on the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea. It is inevitable that China will take an upper hand over the US military strength in these areas thanks to the geographical proximity and the continuous increase of China's input. Chinese society has not only strong expectations for this, but also strong determination and corresponding ability to realize this reversal. The US' conventional military superiority around the world will not translate into a guarantee of superiority in these regions. 

 

 

[Randy W]

War scarred bunkers on Quemoy reflect the islands’ frontline role in Taiwan Strait 
The Quemoy archipelago is just 3.2km off the coast of mainland China, but is controlled by the self-ruled island of 'Taiwan. From 1958 to the late 70s, it was frequently shelled by the PLA.

from the SCMP on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/409496127291519/

[Randy W]

Alert! Abe's remarks are unlocking Japan's militarism: Global Times editorial

By Global Times
Published: Feb 28, 2022 02:11 AM

 

 

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Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday that Japan should consider a nuclear-weapons sharing agreement with the US in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine. He took some NATO member states as example, saying that NATO's nuclear sharing arrangement enables the US to keep its nuclear weapons in Europe under its custody. He claimed that "we should not put a taboo on discussions about the reality we face," in spite of Japan's participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the three principles of no producing, no possessing or not allowing nuclear arms on its territory. Despite the obscurity of his words, Abe's intention is clear: He wants to move toward the pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

 . . .

It is not only ironic, but also a huge real risk, that a group of people in the only country in the world that was bombed by atomic bombs would call for an invitation to the culprit to deploy nuclear weapons in their own territory. Japanese right-wing politicians are more fanatical about nuclear weapons than politicians in any other country in the world, and today, they have evolved into a perverted psychology that borders on distortion. The shame of the defeated country and the desire for revenge, though always suppressed, have constantly lurked in their blood, eager to break free from the shackles. 

 

 

[Randy W]

The west takes threats of invasion very seriously!

Tensions in Taiwan from Ukraine invasion

As Ukrainian citizens fight Russian soldiers, Taiwan is rethinking its compulsory military training regimens for its own citizens.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/1448017965713625/

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Taiwanese activist returns home after prison term in China

• Lee Ming-che, who disappeared in 2017 and was later convicted of ‘subverting state power’, spent five years in prison.

In this photo taken in March 2017, Lee Ching-yu, third from right, holds up a photo of her missing husband - Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-che. He finally returned home on Friday [File: AP Photo]

from Al Jazeera

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Lee’s return to Taiwan on Friday comes about five years after he disappeared in March 2017 while travelling to Macau, a former Portuguese colony and semi-autonomous Chinese territory next to Hong Kong.

 . . .

A week after his disappearance, China confirmed he was being held and was under investigation on suspicion of “pursuing activities harmful to national security”. Lee’s family and several Taiwanese NGOs advocated for months for more information about his whereabouts and other details of his detention.

Lee eventually stood trial in 2017, and pleaded guilty to “subverting state power”, a charge that is frequently used against human rights activists and lawyers. During his trial, Lee confessed to criticising the Chinese Communist Party online and promoting a Taiwanese-style democracy for China, according to the Reuters news agency. He was sentenced to five years in prison and completed his term this week.

E-ling Chiu, secretary-general of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that Lee’s trial and prison conditions violated international law and even Chinese guidelines on prisons.

Lee was reportedly forced to eat spoiled food, and denied warm clothing, she said, while prison officials restricted communication with his family. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, his wife was also denied the right to visit more than a dozen times.

Lee’s case is unusual because the families of people detained in China on similar grounds are often reluctant to speak to the media or international NGOs for fear of repercussions.

His case echoes that of five Hong Kong booksellers, who disappeared in 2015 only to re-emerge in Chinese detention. One bookseller was kidnapped while travelling in Thailand.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

They Inhabited Separate Worlds in Taiwan. Decades Later, They Collided in a California Church.
The 68-year-old suspect in a May mass shooting harbored resentment dating back to his formative years in Taiwan.

from the NY Times 

Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, Calif., where members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church were meeting when the shooting occurred. Credit...Mark Abramson for The New York Times

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Mr. Chou was the son of parents who fled mainland China following the 1949 Communist revolution, part of a mass exodus of Chinese who established an authoritarian government-in-exile in Taiwan. Though he was born on the island, he and his parents were “mainlanders” devoted to the Chinese motherland and saw Taiwan as forever part of China.

Pastor Chang’s relatives were local Taiwanese who had spent centuries on the island. At home, he spoke Taiwanese Hokkien, a language that for decades was banned in public spaces. Pastor Chang grew to believe that despite Beijing’s longstanding claims, the self-ruled island had its own identity, separate from China.

In May, the lives of the two men collided in a quiet retirement community in Southern California. Authorities say that Mr. Chou, 68 — armed with two guns, four Molotov cocktails and a deep-seated rage against Taiwanese people — opened fire inside the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church as members gathered in honor of Pastor Chang, 67.

 

 

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Japan’s reviving militarism endangers itself, regional and global peace

from the Global Times 

Japan's JS Izumo naval ship is seen during a media tour at Changi Naval Base in Singapore on May 13, 2019. Photo: AFP

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Increasing signs show that Japan has already violated the pacifist constitution. The pacifist constitution calls for exclusively defense and forgoes the development of offensive weapons and equipment, including aircraft carriers, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times. 

However, Japan has not only converted its helicopter carriers but also strengthened its offensive capabilities with a larger number of purchased weaponry, including F-35 fighter jets. Japan is now the largest overseas buyer of US' F-35s. 

The Japanese government has found itself an excuse for overseas deployment by following the US to manipulate issues like regional security. Tokyo enacted major changes to its self-defense laws to enhance its overseas capabilities. All these are contrary to the pacifist constitution. 

 . . .

We are no longer in a world comparable to WWII and Japanese militarism was defeated before and will be defeated again. "If Japan dares to pose a threat to the national security of other countries, or even dares to launch another surprise attack, the mainland of Japan will become a battlefield," Song said.

Song believes that what Japan should do is to really uphold peace and not compromise its pacifist constitution because it has no capacity or potential to wage or sustain another war. "This is not only a sincere advice to Japan but also a warning," Song noted.

 

 

[Randy W]

Beijing delivers double warning to US on Taiwan Strait tensions

• In separate talks, senior Chinese diplomatic and military officials issue reminders not to undermine Beijing’s sovereignty
• Foreign Minister Wang Yi rejects comparison with Ukraine while General Li Zuocheng says any infringement will be met with counter-attack

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“Some countries emphasise the principle of sovereignty on the Ukraine issue, but they continue to challenge China’s sovereignty and the one-China principle on the Taiwan issue, and even deliberately create tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Wang said.
“China rejects any attempt to compare the Ukrainian crisis with the Taiwan issue, and will firmly defend its core interests.”
Wang also reiterated China’s opposition to the unilateral sanctions imposed by Western nations over Ukraine, saying they were a violation of international trade and would make the crisis more difficult to resolve.
“In the face of complex and severe challenges, the world values unity rather than division, and what is needed is dialogue rather than confrontation,” he said.

 

[Randy W]

Critically ill panda in Taiwan prompts rare visit from mainland China experts despite tensions

Two veterinary surgeons from mainland China arrived in Taiwan on November 1, 2022, following an invitation by Taipei Zoo officials for assistance in treating Tuan Tuan, a beloved 18-year-old panda.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/446963674242477/