Why is it in the news?
- On October 14, 2023, China initiated military exercises with ships and aircraft near Taiwan, shortly after Taiwan celebrated its 113th National Day.
- The operation, termed ‘Operation Joint Sword 24B,’ involved the deployment of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, warships, and aircraft around Taiwan and its outlying islands.
- The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) stated that the drills sealed off key ports in the Taiwan Strait and tested “combat readiness patrols, blockade of key ports and areas, assault on maritime and ground targets, and seizure of comprehensive superiority.”
More about the news
- China framed these drills as a response to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s remarks on October 10, asserting that “The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has no right to represent Taiwan.”
- While Taiwan (the Republic of China) views itself as sovereign, the PRC considers it a breakaway province to be reunified under its One China policy. Further, the PLA called the operation a “stern warning” to separatist forces.
- However, Taiwan vowed to address the threat appropriately, urging China to stop military provocations that undermine regional stability. Earlier, China had conducted “Joint Sword-2024A” drills following Lai’s inauguration, which were termed “punishment” for affirming Taiwan’s independence.
| Taiwan’s Strategic Position
· Taiwan is strategically located in the East China Sea, northeast of Hong Kong, north of the Philippines, and south of South Korea. · According to experts, Southeast Asia has significant stakes in ensuring peace across the Taiwan Strait, as many Southeast Asian citizens reside in Taiwan and their economies are heavily integrated with trade flows through the strait. · A military conflict over Taiwan could escalate tensions in the South China Sea and disrupt regional stability.
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Background
- Since its establishment in 1949, the PRC has maintained that Taiwan should be reunified with the mainland, while the RoC has persisted as an independent entity.
- The RoC emerged as a non-communist frontier against China during the Cold War, and in 1971, the U.S. shifted diplomatic recognition from the RoC to the PRC through secret diplomacy led by Henry Kissinger.
- Taiwan’s National Day, known as “Double 10” or October 10, commemorates the 1911 uprising against the Qing dynasty, which ultimately led to the establishment of the RoC on December 29, 1911, under Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
- Today, only 11 countries recognize Taiwan diplomatically, while the majority of the world adheres to the One China policy, acknowledging only one Chinese government.
- The relationship between Taiwan and China has evolved since the Chinese Communist Party’s victory in the 1949 Civil War, which led the Kuomintang (KMT) to retreat to Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek. Following the lifting of martial law in 1975, Taiwan began its first democratic reforms.
- The 1990s saw an improvement in relations and trade between the PRC and RoC, but Taiwan rejected the “One China, Two Systems” framework proposed during the British handover of Hong Kong in 1999.
- In 2000, Taiwan elected its first non-KMT government, led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). China’s drafting of an anti-secession law in 2004 marked a significant moment, although trade and connectivity continued to flourish.
- Today, the DPP and KMT dominate Taiwan’s political landscape, representing different segments of the population. Since Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016, Taiwan has experienced a surge in pro-independence sentiment, leading to concerns among pro-independence factions regarding their economic ties to China.
- Conversely, proponents of reunification believe that increased economic interdependence will diminish pro-independence sentiments.
