Consequences of Pelosi's visit: China announced a new military exercise around Taiwan
The Chinese military has announced another military exercise - a day after it concluded the largest exercise it conducted in protest of the visit of the speaker of the US House of Representatives last week to Taipei. According to commentators, the exercises are part of the Chinese president's way of ensuring that Taiwan will prioritize the negotiating table in case of Confrontation
news agencies
08/08/2022
Monday, August 8, 2022, 10:03 a.m. Updated: 11:20 a.m.
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The Chinese military announced a new military exercise today (Monday) in the areas and in the airspace around Taiwan - a day after it concluded the largest exercise it conducted in protest of the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to Taipei last week.
The Chinese Eastern Regional Command announced that it will conduct joint exercises which will focus on anti-submarine attack operations, among other things - and thereby confirmed the concerns of some analysts and diplomats about the pressure exerted by China on Taiwan. China responded to Pelosi's visit to the island by launching ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as part of a four-day exercise, as well as cutting ties with the United States in several Subjects
The exact duration and location of the new exercise is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased restrictions on flights near the six areas where China conducted the previous exercise, near its shores.
Taiwan President Tsai Ying-wen earlier met with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalez, telling him she appreciated his visit despite Chinese pressure.
A Chinese ship off the coast of Taiwan (Photo: Reuters)
China also canceled talks between its military and the United States military as part of the diplomatic pressure it exerts on its rival.
"The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is a provocation on the part of the United States, and its side should bear full responsibility for its serious consequences," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said.
"Media needs honesty," he added.
China on Friday canceled official talks with the United States at the command level, as well as defense policy coordination and naval consultations.
The Pentagon, the White House Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the decision and called it an "irresponsible overreaction".
China's severing of ties with the US military raises the risk of an unintended escalation in Taiwan at a critical moment, according to analysts and diplomats.
An American official said that Chinese officials did not respond to calls from Pentagon officials, but the Pentagon may not see this as an official severing of ties with senior figures such as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
On video: Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the Chinese military exercise in response (Photo: Reuters)
China launched ballistic missiles to Taiwan for the first time (Photo: Reuters)
Although Chinese President Xi Jinping was unable to stop Pelosi from visiting Taipei, the military exercise he ordered serves a much more aggressive purpose: a siege in order to take control of the island by force, according to commentators.
Senior Chinese military officials have long discussed a blockade of Taiwan, but until now viewed such a move as an excessive provocation, commentators said.
However, after the visit, the Chinese military for the first time fired missiles over Taipei, launched a fleet of drones over the Taiwan islands, sent warships across the maritime boundary line in the Taiwan Strait and encircled the sovereign island in what the Taiwanese military called a "siege exercise."
"These measures have changed the status quo of Taiwan's security," said Li Mingjiang, a professor at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
"This gives the Chinese army a new base from which to further push the limits in future exercises," he added.
The ability to impose a blockade would give Beijing leverage in bringing Taiwan to the negotiating table during a conflict.
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The most extensive Chinese military exercise off the coast of Taiwan (Photo: GettyImages)
In that case, if Taiwan prefers to accept the alternative of unification without bloodshed, it will guarantee Xi the biggest reward in his long-term policy of "unifying the Chinese people."
Reunification of Taiwan with China will be the key achievement that will establish Xi's status alongside the founder of Communist China Mao Zedong and justify the move to abolish term limits in 2018.
Xi is expected to secure an unprecedented third term at the Communist Party Congress in November.
However, although China has moved one step closer to using force in Taiwan, most commentators believe that war is not imminent.
"It is not at all certain that an invasion in the next decade will succeed. Failure will be the end of Xi Jinping, of his dream and perhaps even of the Communist Party," Charles Parton, a former British diplomat, told Reuters.
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