Military exercises suggest China is ‘preparing to launch war against Taiwan’, says island’s foreign minister

() — A day after China staged “precision joint strikes” on Taiwan during military exercises around the island, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu condemned Beijing’s actions in an exclusive interview with , warning that they “seem trying to prepare to launch a war against Taiwan.”

“Look at the military exercises, and also their rhetoric, they seem to be trying to prepare to launch a war against Taiwan,” Wu said.

“The Taiwan government sees the Chinese military threat as something that cannot be accepted and we condemn it,” he added.

Asked if Taiwan has any idea of ​​the timing of possible Chinese military action, given US intelligence assessments that Xi has instructed his military to be ready by 2027, Wu expressed confidence in the preparations. from Taiwan.

“Chinese leaders will think twice before deciding to use force against Taiwan. And it doesn’t matter if it’s 2025 or 2027 or even beyond, Taiwan just needs to get ready,” he said.

The exercises appeared to mark the first time the Chinese navy had simulated attacks on Taiwan from carrier-based fighter jets.

Beijing launched the drills on April 8, a day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a 10-day visit to Central America and the United States, where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and other US lawmakers.

Beijing described them as “a serious warning against the collusion of Taiwan separatist forces with external forces, and a necessary move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Asked if the costs of such a visit were too high, Wu told : “China cannot dictate how Taiwan makes friends. And China cannot dictate how our friends want to show their support for Taiwan.”

Beijing carried out similar large-scale military exercises around Taiwan last August after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.

Those exercises included Chinese missile launches over the island, something that has not been seen so far in current exercises.

Tensions grow between China and Taiwan

Taiwan and China have ruled separately since the end of a civil war more than seven decades ago, in which defeated nationalists fled to Taipei. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarian rule to democracy in the 1990s and is now ranked as one of the freest jurisdictions in Asia by Freedom House, a US-based non-profit organization.

However, China’s ruling Communist Party claims the autonomous island as its territory, and in recent years, as his power has grown, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made clear his ambitions to “reunify” the island, by force if necessary.

China’s exercises also coincided with a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who was received in Beijing by Xi.

After their meeting, Macron appeared to question whether France should get involved in the Taiwan crisis, telling reporters that “the worst thing would be to think that we Europeans should become followers on this issue and adapt to the American pace or a Chinese overreaction.” French officials later said his comments were misinterpreted. Wu told that Taipei has asked France for clarification.

“We are still trying to find out, through the French government, what it says and what that means,” Wu said, though he noted that “the French government has been showing its support for Taiwan.”

As US-China tensions over Taiwan worsened, President Joe Biden said the US would defend the island militarily if China attacked, though administration officials insisted the US remains committed to its policy. of “one China”.

The US, through the Taiwan Relations Act, is legally required to provide Taiwan with defensive weaponry, but officials often remain deliberately vague about whether the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attempted attack by China. .

While Wu repeatedly emphasized that “defending Taiwan is our own responsibility,” he noted that with its relationship with its allies in the region, “the United States seems more determined than ever to create a situation (for) China to know that its attack military action against Taiwan is going to have a high cost associated with it. And we appreciate the United States for taking this position.”

— ‘s Brad Lendon contributed reporting.