TAIPAI (Reuters) – The last two days of a Chinese plane approaching Taiwan have shown that Beijing is a threat to the entire region and have shown Taiwanese more clearly the true nature of the Chinese government, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday.
On Friday and Saturday, multiple Chinese planes flew over the center line of the Taiwan Strait and into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, causing the Taiwanese plane to crash. China claims Taiwan as its own territory.
At a news conference on China’s UN peacekeeping efforts in Beijing on Friday, China announced a combat exercise near the Taiwan Strait and condemned it as an alliance between the island and the United States.
The exercise took place as Keith Cruch, the U.S. undersecretary of state for economic affairs, had the most senior state office in Taipei in four decades.
Speaking to reporters, Tsai condemned the Chinese exercise.
He said, “I believe that these activities are of no help to China’s international image, and therefore more Taiwanese people have been placed on their guard, who have also understood the true nature of Chinese communist rule.”
Tsai added that, in addition, other countries in the region also have a better understanding of the threat posed by China. “Chinese communists should restrain themselves, and not provoke.”
The Chinese Air Force on Saturday released a video showing its nuclear-capable H-6 bombers exercising in several Chinese fly-bys in Taiwan.
One montage shows a simulation of an H-6 attack against an air base that is a U.S. Air Force base on Guam by its runway layout.
Asked about China’s decision to release him when he was in Taiwan with footage and crutches, Tsai said China’s recent activities where there is a bigger threat than just Taiwan alone.
“China’s existence is really aggressive and it will bring a certain threat.”
In comments made by Chinese state media through the forum on relations with Taiwan in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office fees made no direct mention of the current tensions on Sunday.
Meeting the young man from Taiwan, Liu Jiai said it was inevitable that the two sides would come closer.
“Only when cross-strait relations are good can the interests and well-being of Taiwan’s compatriots be fundamentally guaranteed.”
But as relations between Taiwan and the United States become more tense, more conflicts are likely, with Taiwan campaigning for a free trade agreement.
Taiwan’s Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said Sunday that he plans to hold a formal economic dialogue with the United States after he says informal talks with Crutch and his team on issues such as supply chain restructuring.
Reported by Ben Blanhard; Additional reporting by Ginny Cao; Edited by Michael Perry
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