[Epoch Times, February 27, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Li Yun reported) When Russia invaded Ukraine and raised public concerns about the CCP taking advantage of the chaos to attack Taiwan, a US destroyer crossed the Taiwan Strait on the 26th. Scholars believe that the US military’s move is a warning to Beijing not to act rashly.
On the evening of February 26, the spokesperson of the Eastern Theater Command of the Communist Party of China told Lu media that the USS Johnson guided missile destroyer passed through the Taiwan Strait that day, and the Eastern Theater Command organized troops to monitor and monitor the entire process.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also confirmed that a destroyer of the U.S. Navy passed through the Taiwan Strait from south to north on the 26th.
According to the information released by the South China Sea Strategic Situational Awareness Program platform, the guided-missile destroyer USS Johnson passed through the Bashi Strait in southern Taiwan at around 6 a.m., hovered at the southern mouth of the Taiwan Strait at around 8 a.m., and then headed north through the Taiwan Strait.
During this period, an EP3E electronic reconnaissance aircraft of the US Navy provided intelligence support in the airspace over the South Exit of the Taiwan Strait.
According to the ship’s dynamic data, the “Johnson” once crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait when it was passing through, which was different from similar operations in the past.
The USS Seventh Fleet later issued a statement saying that the “Johnson” carried out a routine Taiwan Strait transit operation, sailing in international waters in accordance with international law, and demonstrating the United States‘ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The statement emphasized that the U.S. military flies, sails and performs missions wherever international law allows.
This is about a month after the US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait again. It is now in the midst of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Scholar: U.S. ship crosses Taiwan Strait to warn Beijing not to act rashly
Lin Yingyou, an adjunct assistant professor at the Institute of Strategy and International Affairs of Chung Cheng University, analyzed the Central News Agency that the US sailing through the Taiwan Strait at this time wanted to tell Beijing that “even if there is a conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the United States has not relaxed about the Indo-Pacific”, and told the United States in the Indo-Pacific. Allies, the US military continues to patrol the Indo-Pacific to maintain regional security.
Jie Zhong, a researcher at the China Strategic Foresight Association, also analyzed that when the United States decided not to use its military force to intervene in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the confidence of the Indo-Pacific allies and partners in the United States would inevitably be affected. The U.S. military took this action, in addition to the show of force, as a symbol of attention Commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
Regarding the US military’s dispatch of an EP-3E electronic reconnaissance aircraft to provide intelligence and monitoring support on the south side of the Taiwan South, Jie Zhong said that at the time of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the US military’s move was to let Beijing know not to take this opportunity to launch a war in the Indo-Pacific. strong military action in the region. At the same time, it also reassures allies in the Indo-Pacific region that the United States is still grasping the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region.
Russia and Ukraine are at war, the outside world is worried that the CCP will take advantage of the chaos to attack Taiwan
On the first day of the Russian-Ukrainian war (24th), the CCP dispatched 8 J-16 fighter jets and 1 Yun-8 technical reconnaissance aircraft to intrude the Southwest Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone; The Taiwan Air Force broadcasts the expulsion.
Many political parties in Taiwan have warned that “Russia’s actions against Ukraine are worrying, and Taiwan cannot become the next Ukraine.” There is even a saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow”.
In this regard, Lan Shu, a current affairs commentator based in the United States, told NTDTV that Taiwan is different from Ukraine. There is no security agreement between the United States and Ukraine, but the United States and Taiwan have the U.S.-Taiwan Relations Act, as well as six security measures to maintain Taiwan’s security. guarantee.
He believes that the occurrence of the Ukraine incident will only be more beneficial to Taiwan, and Western countries represented by the United States will increase their attention to Taiwan. It will also be easier for Taiwan to obtain weapons and various resources from Western countries.
Jie Zhong, a researcher at the China Strategic Foresight Association, also told The Epoch Times that the CCP does not yet have the ability to force a “quick fight” against Taiwan. High displays of force or threats of force intended to force concessions on certain issues between Taiwan and Washington.
[Crossroads]The host Tang Hao analyzed that the possibility of the CCP attacking Taiwan cannot be ruled out, but the probability is not high. The most important work of the CCP this year is the 20 major power struggles and the maintenance of Xi Jinping’s regime.
Tang Hao said that if the CCP uses a large number of military forces to invade Taiwan at this time, it may cause the anti-Xi faction forces in the military to have the opportunity to mobilize troops and launch a coup d’etat to raid Xi Jinping’s regime, which will be detrimental to Xi. And the CCP’s current military force is still unable to transport a large number of troops to land on Taiwan, which is another main reason.
Responsible editor: Sun Yun#