Taiwan and China Conflict: Days after Beijing began military drills near the self-ruled island in retaliation for his inaugural address, Taiwan’s president declared on Sunday that he was still ready to cooperating with Beijing to foster “mutual understanding and reconciliation.”
Following President Lai Ching-te’s oath of office on Monday, China, which views Lai as a “dangerous separatist” and claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, began military drills surrounding the island three days later.
According to Economic times, up until Friday night, fighter jets, coast guard ships, and naval boats surrounded Taiwan, reportedly as a drill for possible takeover, according to Chinese military analysts.
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According to Lai’s statement on Sunday, “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is a necessary element for global security and prosperity” was stressed in his inaugural speech on May 20.
He remarked as he was attending an event in southern Tainan with his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that “I also called on China to jointly shoulder the important responsibility of regional stability with Taiwan.”
“I also look forward to enhancing mutual understanding and reconciliation through exchanges and cooperation with China… and moving towards a position of peace and common prosperity.”
He stated that “any country making waves in the Taiwan Strait and affecting regional stability will not be accepted by the international community”.
Prior to his inauguration, Lai made overtures to Beijing in an attempt to restore contact that had been broken since 2016 when former president Tsai Ing-wen assumed office.
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Tsai shares Lai’s affiliation with the DPP, an organization dedicated to upholding Taiwan’s independence.
Beijing has responded by increasing political and military pressure on Taiwan; as a result, its warplanes, drones, and naval boats are still stationed almost constantly throughout the island.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Sunday, two days after the drills concluded, that seven Chinese planes, fourteen naval vessels, and four coast guard ships were “operating around” the island for a whole day that ended at 6:00 am (2200 GMT Saturday).
