Since Tsai Ing-wen assumed office as President of the Republic of China in May this year, the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) has been continuously deploying more air force aircraft and naval vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan, increasing the possibility of conflict. Admiral Tang Hua, commander of the Taiwan Navy, stated that the PLA is using a “python strategy” to squeeze Taiwan.
In an interview with The Economist, Admiral Tang warned that the PLA is “slowly but steadily” increasing its presence around Taiwan. “They are ready to block Taiwan at any time,” he said.
Following the visit of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan and PLA military exercises encircling Taiwan, Chinese fighter jets, bombers, and naval vessels have frequently harassed Taiwan, repeatedly crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Data from The Economist shows that the number of PLA aircraft crossing the median line has increased over fivefold, from 36 times in January to 193 times in August.
On September 25, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China stated that it had detected 23 instances of PLA aircraft conducting activities at sea, with 22 instances crossing the median line. Chinese state media reported that the PLA Rocket Force launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a simulated training warhead into the Pacific Ocean at 8:44 a.m.
The number of Chinese naval vessels lurking around Taiwan has also increased from 142 ships in January to 282 ships in August. Admiral Tang stated that the time Chinese naval vessels spend patrolling has extended from a few hours to several days.
He said, “They (PLA) put immense pressure on you, pressure, pressure, trying to wear you down.”
Regarding the purpose behind the PLA’s increasingly intense actions towards Taiwan, Tang Hua stated that the PLA is trying to force Taiwan to make mistakes and seeking “excuses” to block Taiwan.
He added that this is why Taiwan’s military leaders issued new rules of engagement this year, defining the ethical and legal use of force for self-defense. “We restrain our people, not provoke or escalate the situation.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan is also seeking international assistance to jointly resist the Chinese across Taipei relations. On August 14, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung mentioned the importance and closeness of Taiwan-Japan-US security cooperation when hosting bipartisan Japanese lawmakers. He emphasized Taiwan’s vital position in the first island chain and the necessity to face threats in collaboration with like-minded nations.
On September 25, a Japanese destroyer of the Maritime Self-Defense Force crossed the Taiwan Strait for the first time, viewed as an attempt to curb the escalating military threats posed by China in the region. This crossing operation received approval from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The Kishida administration believes that without countermeasures, China’s military threats may escalate further, hence deciding to deploy the MSDF for deterrence.
The United States is closely monitoring the situation in the Taiwan Strait, continuing arms sales to Taiwan, which has angered China.
For decades, the U.S. Navy has periodically transited through the Taiwan Strait, and in recent years, naval vessels from countries such as Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand have begun traversing the Taiwan Strait to signal support for peace and stability in the region.
Former U.S. Defense official Joseph Bosco wrote in The Hill on August 13 that over the past 30 years, China has gradually developed an “anti-access/area denial” strategy to prevent U.S. intervention in Taiwan Strait conflicts and has expanded the scope and intensity of its maritime and aerial exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
Bosco called on the U.S. to progressively increase the number and scale of transits through the Taiwan Strait until they form a complete naval battle group.
On September 16, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the latest arms sale to Taiwan worth $228 million. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that this is the Biden administration’s 16th arms sale to Taiwan, demonstrating the normalization of arms sales to Taiwan policy and a steadfast security commitment.