The US is playing a dangerous game of putting a public face on a policy of defending Taiwan from China for which it has zero capability to implement
The US is playing a dangerous game of putting a public face on a policy of defending Taiwan from China, for which it has zero capability to implement. Following a recent escalation of tensions between Beijing and Taipei, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to pursue «reunification» with Taiwan by peaceful means and warned foreign nations about meddling in the issue. For the past several years, the air force of the People’s Republic of China has been flying sorties into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, as a means of sending a signal to Taipei that China does not recognize its claims of independence and, as such, any notion of an ADIZ is null and void. These incidents, which have been escalating over the years, recently reached a crescendo: China, according to Taipei, flew 38 aircraft in two waves into Taiwan’s ADIZ on October 1,39 more on October 2 (also in two waves), and 16 the following day. In response, the US State Department spokesman Ned Price issued a statement. «The United States is very concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability. We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan.» China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying replied «Taiwan belongs to China and the US is in no position to make irresponsible remarks. The relevant remarks by the US side seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques and send an extremely wrong and irresponsible signal.» On October 4, Taipei said that China sent its largest wave of aircraft yet into Taiwan’s ADIZ, some 56 in total, including 36 J-16 and Su-30 fighter jets,12 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers,2 Y-8 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft and two KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Alarmed by these developments, Taiwan’s PresidenT Tsai Ing-wen declared that «Taiwan does not seek military confrontation. It hopes for a peaceful, stable, predictable, and mutually beneficial coexistence with its neighbors. But Taiwan will also do whatever it takes to defend its freedom and democratic way of life.» ‘Whatever it takes’, however, is an infinite concept backed up by the finite reality that Taiwan has a military of about 165,000 active-duty troops and about 1.
