Taiwan Warns China’s Military May Make ‘Sudden Entry’

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Facts

• Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng on Monday warned that the country is on alert for a 'sudden entry' by the Chinese military into regions close to its territory amid rising military tensions across the Taiwan Strait.¹
• While Taiwan hasn't reported any incidents of Chinese forces entering its contiguous zone, an area 44.4km (24 nautical miles) from its coast, Chiu alleged that China is 'making such preparations.'²
• Last year Taiwan shot down a civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast. Taiwan has consistently vocalized its right to self-defense and counterattack if the Chinese military enters its territory.³
• At China's annual 'two-session' legislative meeting Sunday, Beijing unveiled a 7.2% increase in its defense budget to 1.55T Chinese yuan ($224B) for 2023. Chiu claims that the move suggests China is preparing its military to act in the future 'if necessary.'⁴
• The news comes after outgoing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also stated at the meeting that the CCP 'resolutely opposes an independent Taiwan' and wishes for a 'peaceful unification.'⁵
• Last month, CIA Director William Burns claimed that Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping called for his military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 — a potential move condemned by the US. Since self-governed Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 following the country's civil war, Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Al Jazeera, ³Cna, ⁴Newsweek, ⁵Taipei times and ⁶FOX News.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Taipei times. Taiwan is continuing to receive support from the West in a joint stand of contempt against the CCP's actions towards the state. Just as China's behavior concerning Hong Kong and its management of COVID has destroyed previous assumptions of its peaceful intentions, Beijing's belligerence and Xi Jinping's reckless actions — such as its defense spending — reveal its stance on the island, which becomes more internationally unpopular by the day.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Chinadaily.com.cn. The hyperbole surrounding China's defense budget increase is baseless scaremongering. Despite economic slowdowns, the defense expenditures of numerous countries continue to grow. The US, for instance, has increased its own in an attempt to check China's rise. The West should remember that the Taiwan question is an internal dispute in which Beijing is seeking a peaceful solution, not a hegemony like other international actors.

Predictions