Colin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy affairs, said in a briefing at the Pentagon on the 8th that a large number of Chinese warships have crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait and attempted to create a new status quo by cutting sausages. society. “I think you can expect the U.S. side to continue to pass through the Taiwan Strait as usual in the next few weeks.”
He also said that the CCP’s military exercises around Taiwan are a “manufactured crisis.” “We will not take the bait, and this approach will not be effective.” Flights, navigation and activities where permitted, including the Taiwan Strait.”
According to the announcement of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China on the 9th, the CCP continued to conduct large-scale military exercises on the same day. As of 5:00 p.m., a total of 45 military aircraft and 10 warships continued to operate around the Taiwan Strait. Among them, 16 sorties crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait. . In addition to strict monitoring, Taiwan’s military also emphasizes “stabilizing the status quo” and defending national defense and security in accordance with the principles of “defending the central line, territorial waters, and defending sovereignty.”
Samp, a senior current affairs commentator, told Voice of Hope that the CCP will use military exercises to blur and nullify the central line of the Strait. Since Beijing does not abide by the median line in the Taiwan Strait, it is meaningless only if Taiwan does. He encouraged U.S. warships, Taiwanese warships and military aircraft to patrol and even conduct military exercises to the west of the central line of the strait and beyond China’s territorial waters and airspace. “As long as this place is normalized, the CCP’s fearless and constant aggression can be curbed.” “It wants to treat Taiwan in the way of cutting sausages. We just want to throw back the place where the sausages are cut.”
Current affairs commentator Li Zhenghao said on the “Critical Moment” program that if the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (USS Ronald Reagan) passes through the middle of the strait, it will be a disaster for the CCP.
Earlier, when the USS Ronald Reagan left the South China Sea for the waters near Japan, the CCP claimed that its military exercises around Taiwan forced the USS Ronald Reagan to retreat hundreds of kilometers overnight. However, on the 6th, the USS Reagan suddenly turned around and turned back, and the Chinese state media also reported that the aircraft carrier “Reagan” turned back and may even sail through the Taiwan Strait.
Li Zhenghao said: “If the USS Ronald Reagan (Reagan) is directly cruising the Taiwan Strait, it means that the entire Taiwan Strait is not owned by China.”
He pointed out that there is a frigate next to the USS Reagan, an aircraft on it, and a nuclear-powered submarine below. It is necessary to ensure that it is 300 kilometers clear, and the 300 kilometers west of the central line of the strait is in China. Of course, it is a great pressure for the CCP. If the USS Ronald Reagan goes east of Taiwan, the CCP will no longer have to exercise.
Chen Wenjia, director of the National Research Center at Taiwan’s Kainan University, said that the United States‘ position has always been that it neither wants Taiwan independence nor does it allow the CCP to use force. This position has not changed. “It’s just that China (the CCP) has already used this military force, whether it’s a warship, whether it’s a fighter jet, etc., these have gone beyond the center line, and even reached the territorial waters, highlighting that it has changed a form of the Taiwan Strait, so, Of course, the United States will definitely make a moderate countermeasure.”