Reuters-China says drills near Taiwan target arrogance of separatists
September 27, 2023 3 min 612 words
这篇报道涉及中国近期在台湾附近进行的军事演习，以及台湾政治人物对此的反应。中国官方声称这些演习旨在打击台湾独立分裂势力的嚣张行为，而台湾下届总统候选人则表示中国试图“吞并”该岛。台湾一直被中国视为自己的领土，但台湾政府坚称只有台湾人民可以决定其未来，一直提出与中国进行对话的建议，但遭到中国的拒绝。 这一紧张局势使军事冲突的风险升高，台湾的国防部长已经警告可能导致意外冲突。中国方面则坚称演习是为了捍卫国家主权和领土完整，敦促台湾民众明辨是非，坚决反对独立，并与中国一同维护台湾海峡的和平与稳定。 这篇报道还提到了台湾下届总统候选人William Lai，中国对他持有特别不满，因为他曾支持独立的言论。然而，Lai表示他不寻求改变现状，并提出与北京进行对话。他指出，台湾海峡的局势并未因时间的推移而改善，中国试图吞并台湾的企图依然存在。 在报道中还提到，中国国防部长李尚福一直没有公开提及或评论这些演习，有消息称他因腐败问题正在接受调查。台湾民选政府坚持认为只有台湾人民可以决定他们的未来，并多次提出与中国对话的建议，但遭到北京的拒绝。 报道中还指出，台湾国防部周三报告了进一步的中国军事动态，称在过去的24小时内，已侦测并应对了16架中国飞机进入台湾的防空识别区。其中12架越过了台湾海峡的中线，这条中线在去年8月之前一直是两岸之间的非正式屏障，中国开始定期越过这条中线。 另外，台湾计划在周四推出八艘国产潜艇以加强对中国的防御。对此，中国方面回应称，台湾的民进党试图通过武力谋求独立只会加剧紧张局势，将台湾民众推向危险的境地。 总的来说，这篇报道反映了中国与台湾之间紧张的军事关系，以及双方在政治和军事层面的争议。冲突的升级可能对整个地区的稳定产生负面影响，需要寻找和平解决方案，以避免进一步紧张。
China said on Wednesday its recent series of drills near Taiwan aimed at combating the "arrogance" of separatist forces, while the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president said China was trying to "annex" the island.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has said this month that it had observed dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships and the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, operating nearby.
The increased frequency of China's military activities has raised the risk of events "getting out of hand" and sparking an accidental clash, the island's defence minister has warned.
Asked about the spurt in drills, and Taiwan's concerns about increased risk, Zhu Fenglian, the spokeswoman of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, acknowledged the drills by the People's Liberation Army.
"The purpose is to resolutely combat the arrogance of Taiwan independence separatist forces and their actions to seek independence," Zhu told a regular news briefing in Beijing.
"The provocation of Taiwan independence continues all day long, and the actions of the People's Liberation Army to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity are always ongoing," she added.
She urged people in Taiwan to distinguish between "right and wrong", resolutely oppose independence for the island, and work with China to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
China has a particularly strong dislike of William Lai, the frontrunner to be elected president at the island's January elections for previous comments in support of independence.
However, he says he does not seek to change the status quo and has offered talks with Beijing.
The situation across the Taiwan Strait had "not improved due to the passage of time", said Lai, now the island's vice-president.
"China's attempts to annex Taiwan have not changed," he said at an event in Taipei on Wednesday for the 37th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP.
China's armed forces have not explicitly mentioned or commented on the drills at a time when Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu has gone missing from public view. Sources have told Reuters he is being investigated for corruption.
Taiwan's democratically elected government says only the island's people can decide their future, and has repeatedly offered talks with China, which Beijing has rejected.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry reported further Chinese military movements, saying it had detected and responded to 16 Chinese aircraft entering the island's air defence identification zone over the prior 24 hours.
Of those, 12 crossed the median line of the Taiwan strait, which had served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides until China began regularly crossing it in August last year.
On Thursday, Taiwan is set to launch the first of eight domestically made submarines as it bolsters its defences against China.
In Beijing, when asked about the submarines, Zhu said efforts by Taiwan's DPP to "seek independence with force" would only exacerbate tensions and "push the Taiwanese people into a dangerous situation".
In an unusual revelation last week, Taiwan's defence ministry said it was monitoring China's drills in the southern province of Fujian, opposite Taiwan. Normally Taiwan provides details only of drills in the skies and waters around it.
A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning in the region told Reuters the information was released to show Taiwan's surveillance and intelligence capacity.
"We can see the details and we are prepared," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
China's military has also not commented on the Fujian exercises.