New show of force from China off the coast of Taiwan

2023-09-11 16:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Ministry of Defense in Taipei announced that 26 Chinese aircraft and 13 warships have been registered near the island since Sunday. Thirteen more fighter jets were seen on Monday morning. Two days earlier, two Western naval vessels had passed through the strait near the self-administered island. 22 out of 39 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Defense said.

According to reports, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong was spotted about 60 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip, Eluanbi. According to the ministry, it was heading east and entering the western Pacific. The Taiwanese military is monitoring the situation "closely," the statement added. In response, it activated aircraft, naval vessels and land-based missile systems.

Chinese armed forces, on permanent alert

China had previously said it had put its armed forces "on permanent alert" after the passage of a US Navy ship and a Canadian frigate. To Beijing's dismay, the US and its Western allies have recently repeatedly sent ships to the Taiwan Strait as well as the South China Sea, a disputed maritime area of ??great strategic and economic importance to coastal countries.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also claim parts of the maritime zone and are supported in this position by the US.

US President Joe Biden visits Vietnam

During his visit to Vietnam, US President Joe Biden and Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong warned in a joint statement against the "threat or use of force" in the disputed maritime zone. They reaffirmed their "unwavering support for the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law".

They further called for "freedom of navigation and overflight as well as unimpeded legitimate trade in the South China Sea." The statement is also a reaction to recent incidents in the South China Sea in which Philippine and Vietnamese ships were allegedly harassed by the Chinese coast guard.

The US deepens cooperation with Vietnam

Një ditë para deklaratës, Biden dhe Trong arritën gjithashtu një marrëveshje për thellimin e bashkëpunimit mes dy vendeve, gjë që shihet si një hap kundër veprimit të vendosur të Kinës në rajon. Uashingtoni është në kundërshtim me Pekinin për një sërë çështjesh, duke përfshirë tregtinë, sigurinë, të drejtat e njeriut dhe ndryshimet klimatike. Për të kundërshtuar ndikimin kinez, Uashingtoni po përpiqet gjithnjë e më shumë të intensifikojë marrëdhëniet e tij me vendet aleate, duke përfshirë Vietnamin dhe Filipinet./ DW