On July 25, roads were opened and people were ordered to evacuate indoors throughout Taiwan as the island’s democratic government conducted training to simulate a Communist Chinese missile attack.
A pre-announced “missile warning” text message was sent by the government, sirens rang, and forced training was announced early in the afternoon. The streets were closed and businesses were closed for 30 minutes, effectively closing the entire city of northern Taiwan.
The store turned off the lights to reduce the chances of being targeted during a night air raid, and firefighters practiced extinguishing the flames caused by fake missile strikes.
In Taiwan, air raid training is required by law, and the masses often have to fight nearly constant intimidation and military stance by neighboring China.
However, such drills have gained some advantage in recent months. Fearing that the newly bold China could launch an invasion of Taiwan, the island raised its alert level following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We need to prepare for the war.” Said In a speech after the training, Mayor of Taipei, Ko Wen-je
“In recent years, Chinese military aircraft have frequently harassed Taiwan, and the Russian-Ukraine war broke out in February,” Ko added. “These incidents remind us that we need to be vigilant during peaceful times.”
The drill matched with Release It is one of the five-day war games in which the Taiwanese army mobilizes dozens of fighters and 20 naval vessels to simulate an attack by China.
The first two days of the exercise will focus on air defense and conservation, and the third day will be followed by a joint attack operation across the Air Force, Navy, and Army. The 4th and 5th days will focus on land defense.
China threatens Taiwan and the United States
The training took place days after a series of headlined threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership and opposed reports that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was planning a visit to Taiwan.
The CCP threatened to take “strong measures” against the United States and Taiwan if Pelosi went to Taiwan. Under threat, President Joe Biden said Pelosi should not go to Taiwan. It blamed the public for clearly condemning the invasion of CCP.
But in a line of increasingly warlike threats from the Chinese Communist Party leadership, the front and back were just up to date.
In June, China’s Secretary of Defense Wei Fenghe threatened US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and China hesitated to start a war regardless of cost in order to prevent the world from recognizing Taiwan’s independence. I won’t. “
Following the turmoil, Beijing issued a positive and historic statement that there was no high seas in the 100-mile sea between the mainland and Taiwan. This is despite the fact that the high seas start only 12 nautical miles from the coast.
Taiwan’s readiness for heightened tensions and China’s missile attacks resembles the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1995 and 1996.
During the crisis, then-President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan accepted an invitation to give a speech at Cornell University about Taiwan’s democratic experience. The Chinese Communist Party has named Lee’s efforts a “traitor” and launched missiles in the waters near Taiwan’s busiest port.
Further disasters were avoided when the United States responded by dispatching a group of two aircraft carriers to the region.
Ambiguity failure
The CCP claims that Taiwan is a separate state of China and has vowed to integrate the island with the mainland. That leadership does not rule out the use of force in that effort.
Taiwan has been autonomous since 1949 and has never been controlled by CCP.That democratic government is itself and its de facto Independence from the invasion of China.
The United States acknowledges the CCP’s allegations, but maintains the 1979 treaty with Taiwan, ensuring that Taiwan supplies Taiwan with the weapons it needs to maintain self-defense.
The United States maintains a controversial policy of so-called “policy of deliberate ambiguity,” which neither confirms nor denies whether it will intervene militarily on behalf of Taiwan in the event of a CCP invasion.
The ambiguity strategy aims to make the Chinese authorities think twice about acting aggressively against Taiwan. However, the recent influx of CCP invasions may suggest that Chinese leaders do not believe that the Biden administration will overtly support Taiwan’s war. As a result, many lawmakers have demanded that policies of deliberate ambiguity be terminated.
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Andrew Thornebrooke is a reporter for The Epoch Times, which deals with China-related issues focusing on defense, military and national security. He holds a master’s degree in military history from Norwich University.