TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US State Department said President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) routine transit through the US should not be a rationale to exert military pressure on Taiwan.
On Friday, Lai concluded his tour of the South Pacific, which included visits to three Pacific allies—the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau—and transit stops in Hawaii and Guam. Meanwhile, reports emerged that China had planned to conduct military exercises after Lai's return to signal its dissatisfaction with his trip.
The Ministry of National Defense on Monday said it had heightened its alert level after the PLA announced seven reserved airspace zones east of Zhejiang and Fujian from Monday to Wednesday. A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters that the PLA had deployed approximately 90 navy and coast guard vessels near Taiwan and southern Japanese islands in the East and South China Sea.
When asked by CNA to comment on the drills, a US State Department spokesperson said that Washington is closely monitoring the PLA's activities near Taiwan. “We continue to call on the PRC to act with restraint and avoid actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region," said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added, “A routine transit by President Lai should not be used as a pretext for military pressure.”
Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery told CNA that China is dissatisfied and angered by Lai’s tour. However, Montogomery said he had anticipated that the PLA would conduct these exercises this winter regardless of circumstances.
Montgomery pointed out that the most concerning aspect of this year's PLA exercises targeting Taiwan is their scale and level of sophistication. He described them as larger and more complex than before and posed a more direct threat to Taiwan's security.
Montgomery said the increasing complexity of China's military exercises serves two purposes: first, to convey strategic messages to the Taiwanese, and second, to provide operational training opportunities for the PLA. He said the US and Taiwan should disregard China's complaints and continue advancing bilateral relations in ways they see fit.
