Taiwan raises alarm over renewed military threats from ‘unstable’ China By Reuters

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s Defense Ministry blew the whistle on Thursday over renewed Chinese military deployments across the island and fire drills, accusing Beijing of policy instability that poses a major challenge to its neighbours.

Democratic Taiwan, which Beijing sees as its own, has complained about increased Chinese military activity over the past five years. Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Defense said it had witnessed a second day of major Chinese military operations in the vicinity, with 29 aircraft taking part in “joint combat patrols” with Chinese warships.

The day before it warns of 43 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island.

Of the 23 flying south of Taiwan through the Bashi Channel that separates it from the Philippines and up the east coast of Taiwan, the service map was displayed, although without entering the airspace.

Pointing to the September 18 to 20 visit of the southern Chinese military chief to the US military in Hawaii, the ministry said at the same time China carried out “multiple waves of fire attacks” in the Yellow exercises. (OTC:) and the Bohai Sea near the Korean peninsula and Japan.

China is doing everything it can to build up its military while creating the illusion of negotiations, the ministry said.

This effort “highlights the critical situation of an authoritarian regime with no political stability, which poses a serious challenge to neighboring countries”, it added.

China’s Defense Ministry did not comment on the latest move around Taiwan and did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

A security source familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told Reuters on Wednesday that Wednesday’s flights were part of an annual Chinese training exercise.

The People’s Liberation Army has been conducting simulated attacks in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, aimed at practicing a ban on “stopping foreign aid” in the event of conflict in the region, the source added.

China’s air force also conducted a campaign to maintain “air dominance” in the waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and practiced air refueling in the Bashi Channel, the source said.

This week China also claimed to have successfully intercepted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean.

“China has been conducting various military exercises in the region recently, endangering the peaceful situation,” Taiwan’s presidential office said, urging its neighbor to exercise restraint.

Tensions surrounding Taiwan have been a constant source of concern for the United States and its allies, which have been sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait to gain freedom of navigation rights.

Ships from New Zealand and Australia passed through the Strait on Wednesday, New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said.

China last staged full-scale war games around Taiwan in late May, shortly after the new president, Lai Ching-te, took office. Beijing hates him, calling him a “separatist”.

Lai says only the people of Taiwan can decide their future and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but they have been rejected.