Beijing/Taipei, Dec 13 (EFE).- China on Friday said it would “not be absent” in fighting against Taiwan’s independence after Taipei condemned Beijing this week of carrying out a large military deployment around the island, about which the Chinese authorities have not provided details.
When asked in a press conference about the nature of the deployment, Ministry of Defense spokesperson Wu Qian did not confirm and said that “whether there is a military exercise or not, the PLA (Chinese army) will never be absent in fighting ‘Taiwan independence’ and promoting national reunification.”
“It is the PLA’s lofty mission to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and defend the shared interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait,” he added.
Wu explained that “as water has no constant form, there are in warfare no constant conditions,” while pointing out that “the PLA will decide whether and when to conduct military exercises in accordance with our needs and the situation on the ground.”
“Any attempt to split the nation through soliciting external support or resorting to force will be punished and will never succeed,” the spokesman said.
For the past few days, China has remained almost completely silent in the face of what Taiwan described as an “astonishing” display of military might, with multiple Chinese Navy and Coast Guard vessels covering an area of approximately 1,000 kilometers, stretching from Shanghai to Fujian province.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has ordered the closure of the emergency response center it set up earlier this week to respond to the deployment, suggesting that the activities have concluded.
On Monday the MND opened an emergency response center and instructed all units to remain in a high state of alert in the face of the deployment.
Taiwan’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Mei Chia-shu, announced on Thursday afternoon the “deactivation of all emergency response centers and instructed the armed forces to continue employing joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance measures to closely monitor Chinese military movements and safeguard national security,” according to the MND news agency.
In statements reported by the outlet, Mei “reminded everyone to stay alert at all times to respond to various emergencies” and praised the combat readiness exercises carried out in recent days.
“Only by strengthening military preparations and continuously growing combat power can the national army form alliances with like-minded countries to deter war and safeguard the values of national sovereignty, democracy, and freedom,” Mei concluded.
Taiwan Coast Guard deputy director-general Hsieh Ching-chin also said that nine Chinese Coast Guard vessels were spotted off the island’s southwest and southeast coasts in the early hours of Thursday, “apparently on their way back to China.”
In the past three days, Taipei detected the presence of a total of 134 aircraft, 39 military vessels, and 17 “official ships,” figures similar to those recorded in previous war exercises, the start and end of which Beijing announced, unlike this time.
The latest data from the MND also indicates that the exercises have ended: 12 aircraft, 14 warships, and nine “official” Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan in the last 24 hours—figures significantly lower than those reported between Tuesday and Thursday.
China’s naval deployment began just days after Taiwan’s President William Lai concluded a tour of the South Pacific with visits to Taipei’s three allies in the area—the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau—and “stopovers” in the US territories of Hawaii and Guam, which angered China.
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it considers a rebel territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve “reunification.” EFE
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