China’s recent actions regarding Taiwan have taken a concerning turn, with a shift from overt military threats to historical justifications. Recent reports reveal China’s deployment of spy balloons not only in America but also in Taiwan’s airspace, indicating an escalation in surveillance tactics. Despite international efforts to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty, including joint exercises by India, the US, and Japan, China persists in challenging established boundaries and conducting intimidating manoeuvres.
Taiwan’s declaration of a ‘Meridian-Line’ as a maritime boundary has been met with refusal and continued aggression from China’s PLA fighter jets and warships. Moreover, China’s objections to exercises like Japan’s Iron-Fist and India’s Dharma-Guardian underscore its growing unease with the strategic alignment of these countries. Amidst these tensions, China’s Defence Ministry’s dismissive responses to diplomatic efforts suggest a deepening rift and continued volatility in the region. According to the information, Chinese warships were detected near the Taiwan Strait 163 times.
But China has refused to accept Taiwan’s meridian line. China’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, issued an official statement saying that the exercises of PLA fighter jets and warships in the Taiwan Strait “are being conducted with national sovereignty and security in mind so as to prevent external (US) interference and Taiwan So that the provocations of freedom-seeking forces can be stopped.”
In fact, Taiwan has declared a ‘Meridian-Line’ between China and its country, which is seen as a maritime boundary between the two countries. But China has clearly refused to accept this limit and day and night, PLA fighter jets and warships try to intimidate Taiwan under the guise of manoeuvres.
China’s Defense Ministry has also expressed a strong reaction to the US and Japan’s amphibious exercise, Iron-Fist. Colonel Zhang said that “Japan should remember its history of aggression and should not create any kind of problem regarding Taiwan.”
China’s Worry
From February 27, the US Marines and the Japanese Army have started the annual ‘Iron-Fist’ exercise for three weeks on Okinawa Island. The focus of this exercise is to free an island from the control of the enemy. They will also practice how their soldiers may have to be evacuated from an island. China feels that the US and Japan are doing these drills to save Taiwan from Chinese attack.
China is not only venting its frustration on the US and Japan but is also targeting the third ‘Quad’ country India. China’s Defence Ministry spokesperson refuted India’s claim that China was held responsible for the ‘low success’ in the 21st round of meeting between the military commanders of the two countries.
Colonel Zhang said that “the two countries maintained effective communication and there were positive, in-depth and constructive exchanges during the meeting.” The objective of this meeting was to end the deadlock arising over all the disputed areas on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) adjacent to Eastern Ladakh.
Ex- Dharma Guardian
Meanwhile, the fifth ‘Dharma-Guardian‘ exercise between the armies of India and Japan is going on in full swing at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan (25 February-9 March). This exercise, being organized under the UN Charter, focuses on fitness of soldiers, joint planning, joint tactical drills including ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) grid, mobile vehicle check-post, heliborne operations and house intervention drills.
Commanding Officer of Japan’s East Army, Lieutenant General Togashi Yuichi will himself come to India in the last phase of this exercise for reviewing.