Taiwan warned on Tuesday that
“the threat of our enemies is growing day by day”, as Chinese warships led by
the country’s sole aircraft carrier sailed towards the island province of
Hainan through the South China Sea on a routine drill.
China has given few details of what the Soviet-built Liaoning
aircraft carrier is up to, save that it is on a routine exercise. Taiwan has
said the aircraft carrier skirted waters outside of its eastern air defense
identification zone.
The carrier is expected to arrive at a Chinese military base on
the southern Chinese island of Hainan late on Tuesday, Taiwan’s defense
ministry said.
The drill comes amid renewed tension over Taiwan, which China
claims as its own and says is ineligible for state-to-state relations,
following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone call with the island’s
president that upset Beijing.
“The threat of our enemies is growing day by day. We should
always be maintaining our combat alertness,” Taiwan Defence Minister Feng
Shih-kuan said. “We need to strengthen the training (of our soldiers) so that
they can not only survive in battle but also destroy the enemy and accomplish
the mission.”
Feng’s remarks were given in a speech Tuesday at a ministry
event marking the promotion of senior military officers.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5
trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
The Pentagon did not directly comment on the latest drill but
said that the United States recognizes lawful use of sea and airspace in
accordance to international law.
“We continue to closely monitor developments in the region. We
do not have specific comments on China’s recent naval activities, but we
continue to observe a range of ongoing Chinese military activity in the
region,” Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross told Reuters.
The Liaoning has taken part in previous exercises, including in
the South China Sea, but China is years away from perfecting carrier operations
similar to those the United States has practiced for decades.
Last December, the defense ministry confirmed China was building
a second aircraft carrier but its launch date is unclear. The aircraft carrier
program is a state secret.
China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when
Mao Zedong’s Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and
Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to the island.
Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if
necessary.
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook