Commentary
In his inaugural address on May 20, President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan renewed his commitment to
uphold cross-Strait peace and stability. Expressing Taiwan’s willingness to forge constructive relations with China on the basis of parity and dignity, President Lai hoped that Beijing would choose dialogue over confrontation and exchange over containment.
Unfortunately, these overtures were swiftly spurned. Instead of meeting the moment and working with Taiwan to manage differences and increase mutual understanding, the Chinese leadership decided to escalate tensions by launching
large-scale military drills within a matter of 72 hours. Comprised of intensive aerial and naval maneuvers in close proximity to Taiwan and its offshore islands, the drills, dubbed ”Joint Sword 2024-A,” are designed to compel the Taiwanese people to make concessions, wear down Taiwan’s defenses, and discourage countries from strengthening their friendship with Taiwan.
Thankfully, responses from the family of free nations over the past couple of days have shown that Beijing’s attempts will not succeed. Twenty-five co-chairs of the
Formosa Club—an informal network of Canadian and European parliamentarians who share Taiwan’s commitment to freedom—have released a joint statement reaffirming their collective opposition to unilateral actions structured to undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The American
government has also stressed that Taiwan’s routine democratic transition is not a justification for military provocation, and the Canadian Senate is
now reviewing a bill that would put Canada’s growing ties with Taiwan on a firm legal foundation.
Contrary to claims that the unification of Taiwan with China is “where the arc of history bends,” peaceful co-existence between Taiwan and China is the prevailing consensus in the world. Since 2021, there have been more than 130 joint statements issued by the G7, the European Union, the ASEAN, and leaders of countries in various other bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral settings. All of these communications have made it clear that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait must be preserved.
China’s drills are also unprecedented in the fact that the People’s Liberation Army has codified them with an “A”—this means that the Chinese military could potentially follow up with more exercises in the months ahead. The emergence of this geopolitical challenge will require more proactive steps to enhance security coordination between Indo-Pacific partners. Within this context, Canada, the United States, and like-minded countries should seriously consider including Taiwanese strategists within the discussions of RIMPAC and other related frameworks.
Besides launching military drills, China has also stepped up its means of economic suppression and diplomatic isolation to punish the Taiwanese people for exercising their free will. Current developments have indicated that Taiwan is likely to be shut out of this year’s
World Health Assembly due to Chinese pressure behind the scenes. Celebrities, such as members of the Mayday rock band and singers Jam Hsiao and Jolin Tsai, were either made to deny their Taiwanese identity publicly or publish social media posts in favor of Taiwan’s annexation by China, under the threat of having their guest performance contracts in China revoked. A number of dignitaries who were present in Taiwan for the presidential inauguration ceremony were either levied or threatened with sanctions by Beijing as well.
In a time where the international rules-based order is under threat, democratic countries around the world must continue to band together and prevent China from making strategic miscalculations. Tragedies like the ongoing war in Ukraine have not only triggered a humanitarian crisis, but also led to massive disruptions in grain exports, harming global food security. An outbreak of war over Taiwan would precipitate economic outcomes that would be magnitudes worse. Over 50 percent of the world’s container ships pass through the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan is an irreplaceable powerhouse for technological innovation.
Following the implementation of democratic reforms in the 1990s, the Taiwanese people have elected their president directly in eight elections, and witnessed three peaceful transfers of power between rival political parties. The election of Dr. Lai Ching-te as Taiwan’s president is a normal fact of democratic life. It should not prompt any reckless or tempestuous reactions like what transpired over the past week.
Freedom is the status quo in Taiwan, and the Taiwanese people will protect their freedom with calmness and resoluteness. From strengthening asymmetric defenses to enhancing deterrence capabilities, Taiwan will ensure that its hard-won democracy shall serve as a force for stability in the Indo-Pacific region for many years to come.
As an inalienable part of the global community, Taiwan will not cower under pressure and accept compromises on its sovereignty.
Li-hsin Liu is the director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
