Newly inaugurated Taiwan President Lai Ching Te, known for his pro-American and anti-China stance, expressed his hope for “exchange and cooperation with China” in response to China’s military pressure. The Chinese military launched two days of large-scale military drills around Taiwan to coincide with Lai’s inauguration.
According to local reports including the United Daily News on the 26th, Lai responded to press inquiries about the Chinese military exercise, saying, “We hope to promote mutual understanding, reconciliation, and create mutual benefits through exchange and cooperation with China, and move towards a position of peaceful coexistence.”
Earlier, the People’s Liberation Army of China conducted a joint military exercise involving land, sea, air, and rocket forces around five maritime areas surrounding Taiwan for two days, starting three days after Lai’s inauguration.
The exercises took place simultaneously in eight locations, including five major areas around Taiwan’s main island and outlying islands, effectively encircling Taiwan. The Taiwan Ministry of Defense analyzed that 111 Chinese military aircraft and dozens of warships were mobilized during the exercise.
The Chinese military characterized the exercise as “a strong punishment for Taiwan’s separatist forces seeking independence and a stern warning against foreign interference and provocation.” The Taiwan Presidential Office criticized it as a “blatant provocation against the international order.”
A U.S. congressional delegation visited Taiwan to express their support for Lai’s inauguration.
The bipartisan delegation of six House members is the first group of current U.S. officials to meet with Lai. They arrived just after China finished two days of military exercises around Taiwan. The delegation included Young Kim, a Korean-American and member of the Republican Party.
In an interview with NBC, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said, “I think it’s very important that we show our strong support for Taiwan. I think it is a deterrent.”
Lai said, “I express my gratitude for the firm support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait from President Joe Biden, the U.S. government, Congress, and countries around the world.” He added, “I urge China to take on the significant responsibility of regional stability with Taiwan.”
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