Following the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, for just three days, the announcement by the Chinese Communist militia on Thursday, May 23, of conducting military exercises around Taiwan has sparked condemnation from the U.S. and Europe. On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives issued a statement through the leaders of the bipartisan committee on China, condemning the explicit threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan as unacceptable.
The military exercises conducted by the Chinese Communist forces began at 7:45 a.m. on the 23rd over the course of 24th in the vicinity of Taiwan and the Kinmen Islands. Apart from the five areas surrounding the main island, exercise zones were also designated including the Kinmen Island, Matsu Island, Wuchiou Island, and Dongyin Island. This maneuver was not unexpected, as it was aimed to exert pressure on the newly elected president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense, in response, dispatched fighter jets, warships, and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the actions of the Chinese Communist military exercises.
John Moolenaar, chairman of the U.S.-China Strategic Competition Committee, along with Democratic senior congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, issued a statement on Friday regarding the Chinese military’s exercises around Taiwan, stating, “In the face of Taiwan’s free and fair elections and President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration, the Chinese Communist Party openly attempts to intimidate Taiwan, which is entirely unacceptable.”
“This move will only reinforce the necessity for the United States to take specific steps to help strengthen Taiwan’s defense and contain the aggression of the Chinese Communist Party. The United States and the international community must firmly stand together with our Taiwanese friends in response to the baseless threats of the Chinese Communist Party against democratic societies worldwide,” they wrote.
Other congressional members have also reiterated their condemnation of China’s military exercises. Federal Congressman Darin LaHood of Illinois wrote on X on Friday, stating, “China’s military exercises around Taiwan are unacceptable, (we) should be alarmed.”
He further commented, “To counter China’s increasingly brazen aggression, we need to build up our Navy, enhance our airbases, and collaborate with our Indo-Pacific allies to bolster our economic competitiveness.”
In an interview with CNN, he unequivocally stated that Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party have mentioned that they plan to reclaim Taiwan by 2027, which the United States cannot take lightly.
Federal Congressman French Hill of Arkansas, speaking on Bloomberg TV on Friday regarding the Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, remarked, “They (Taiwan) want to maintain democracy, freedom, and open navigation in the Taiwan Strait. They do not want to be forced to join the Beijing communist regime through war, force, or coercion.”
Co-Chairman of the Senate Taiwan Caucus and Republican Federal Senator from North Carolina, Thom Tillis, wrote on X on Thursday, “Despite China’s intimidation tactics, the people of Taiwan are sending a clear message: they wish to remain a democratic nation.”
Tillis also congratulated Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Mei-chin on their official inauguration. “I look forward to working together to strengthen our partnership and shared interests at home and abroad,” he said.
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense also released a video for the first time showing F-16 fighter jets monitoring a Chinese J-16 fighter jet and H-6 bomber that entered Taiwan’s airspace.