By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Taiwan has said it will explore its rights to self-defence if attempts are made by Chinese security forces to encroach its territory as Beijing heightens military activities near the democratic island.
Taiwanese defence officials on Wednesday said China’s “high intensity” military patrols near Taiwan has continued, warning that Beijing’s intention of making the Taiwan Strait separating the two sides its “inner sea” would be resisted and could lead to instability in the region.
“For aircraft and ships that entered our sea and air territory of 12 nautical miles, the national army will exercise right to self-defence and counter-attack without exception,” Lin Wen-Huang, deputy chief of the general staff for operations and planning, told reporters at a news briefing.
Beijing, has consistently laid claim to Taiwan being its own against the strong objections of the government in Taipei.
In recent times, Beijing has also held military exercises around the in reaction to a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who China has since threatened to sanction along with her family members.
Taiwan has raised concerns about Chinese drones repeatedly flying close to its small groups of islands near China’s coast.
According to Lin, the Taiwanese military will exercise the same right to counter-attack Chinese drones for ignoring warnings to leave its territory after posing threats.
Taiwan fired warning shots at a Chinese drone for the first time on Tuesday shortly after President Tsai Ing-wen ordered Taiwan’s military to take “strong countermeasures” against what she described as Chinese provocations.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, in a regular press briefing, reiterated China’s position that Taiwan belonged to it.
“Firstly I need to tell you, Taiwan is a province of China, it has no so-called defence ministry. The Taiwan authorities are playing up their nervousness, this is meaningless,” he said.
Earlier in the week, the ministry had dismissed complaints from Taiwan about drone harassment as “not worth fussing about”.
In the same briefing, Ma Cheng-Kun, a director from military academy National Defence University, said China might further move to reject passage of foreign naval ships through the strait without its permission.
“After the new military normal status has been consolidated, then the risk of collision will increase if foreign naval ships insist on the rights of navigation and freedom,” he said.
U.S. warships and those from allied nations such as Britain and Canada have routinely sailed through the strait in recent years, including two U.S. Navy warships last week.
Taiwan’s armed forces are well-equipped but are no match to the humongous military might it the China.
President Tsai Ing-wen is prioritizing a modernisation programme and has made increasing defence spending a top agenda.
China has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying that the People’s Republic of China has never ruled the island and that only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
