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During Baerbock's visit to China: Beijing sends fighter jets towards Taiwan

2023-04-13T09:42:36.827Z


Annalena Baerbock has arrived in China for her inaugural visit. Meanwhile, Beijing's muscle flexing continues, and Taiwan's foreign minister warns of war.


Annalena Baerbock has arrived in China for her inaugural visit.

Meanwhile, Beijing's muscle flexing continues, and Taiwan's foreign minister warns of war.

Munich/Beijing/Tianjin – Shortly before her departure for China, Annalena Baerbock once again clarified what German policy has long been: “A military escalation” between China and Taiwan is “unacceptable,” said the Foreign Minister on Wednesday evening.

The Greens politician then boarded a plane to Tianjin, where she will be visiting a school and a German company on Thursday.

Almost as if the government in Beijing wanted to give her a poisoned welcome gift, China's threatening gestures towards Taiwan continued even after Baerbock's arrival in the eastern Chinese metropolis: As Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced on Thursday, 26 aircraft and seven ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army were in the vicinity spotted in Taiwan.

14 of the fighter jets would have crossed the median line, the unofficial border between China and Taiwan, which was still respected by the People's Republic until about a year ago.

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On Thursday, Annalena Baerbock arrived in China for her inaugural visit.

© Soeren Stache/dpa

Baerbock in China: Beijing announces no-fly zone north of Taiwan

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be “reunited” with the mainland as peacefully as possible, but if necessary by force.

Beijing is also trying to isolate the democratically governed country internationally.

After Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US last week, China launched a three-day military maneuver near Taiwan.

A lockdown of the island was also practiced.

The maneuver officially ended on Monday, but China's muscle flexing continues.

Beijing recently announced for the end of the week that it wants to enforce a no-fly zone north of Taiwan that overlaps with Taiwan's air defense zone.

Originally, no flights were to take place in the area for three days because China wanted to "carry out aerospace activities" there, according to the Taiwanese government.

After protests from Taipei, however, the duration of the flight ban was reduced to just 27 minutes.

This is intended to minimize the impact on civil air traffic.

Last August, after McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, Beijing had set up a temporary no-fly zone in the region and massively disrupted air traffic.

On Wednesday, Beijing also presented new regulations for recruiting soldiers in the event of war.

As the

South China Morning Post

reports, the regulations state that recruitment should "focus on war preparation."

The intention is to increase efficiency by calling up “top-class” recruits in particular.

"The anti-secession law clarifies the conditions for a non-peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue," the Hong Kong newspaper quoted Chinese military expert Xie Dan as saying.

The law dates back to 2005. "Improving the relevant military regulations is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the current military preparations," Xie said.

China and Taiwan: That's what the conflict is about

China and Taiwan: That's what the conflict is about

Taiwan's foreign minister: "China appears to be preparing for war"

Before leaving for Tianjin, Foreign Minister Baerbock called an "escalation in the Taiwan Strait" a "horror scenario" because "50 percent of world trade flows every day" through the strait that separates China and Taiwan.

Baerbock thus indirectly rejected statements by French President Emmanuel Macron.

A few days ago, he said that the Taiwan question was a problem that did not concern the Europeans.

Rather, Europe must position itself as a “third superpower” alongside the USA and China.

There was massive criticism for his statements.

For example, the CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen said: "Macron seems to have been abandoned by all good spirits".

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned against going to war with China.

"If you look at the military exercises and also their rhetoric, they seem to want to prepare for a war against Taiwan," Wu said in an interview with US television network CNN on Tuesday.

However, Beijing will “think twice before deciding to use force against Taiwan.

And whether it's 2025 or 2027 or even later, Taiwan just has to prepare for it."

List of rubrics: © Soeren Stache/dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-04-13

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