First it was a cut underwater cable. 24 hours later Taiwan has found a China Army in front of the island

24 hours after the Taiwan authorities have stopped a ship manned by Chinese citizens under the suspicion of having cut a new cable Communications submarine, the island has encountered a surprising scene in front of its coasts: China has deployed an army and initiated real fire exercises.

The tension intensifies. As explained by the island’s government, China carried out “shooting training” exercises In the waters near the southwest coast of Taiwan, in a maneuver that Taipei has described as “provocative and dangerous.” The exercises seem to be framed in a series of Chinese military maneuvers that, at least in the last three years, have included large -scale war drills.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported that, shortly before 9 am, detected 32 Chinese military planes performing a joint exercise of preparation for combat along with 14 warships in the Taiwan Strait. The operation was carried out without prior notice and in an area Only 74 kilometers from the coastwhich represents a violation of international standards and a danger to navigation security and commercial flights in the region.

Taiwan’s response. The Taiwanese government He condemned the maneuvers and displayed his own strength to monitor the situation. The cities of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, located in southwest Taiwan, host important naval and aerial bases, in addition to the largest port on the island, a key node in international maritime trade. According to Taipei, the recent Chinese military activity, including the one carried out in front of the coast of Australiashow that China is the biggest threat for the stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.

For its part, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs avoided making direct comments on Taiwan’s complaints and just affirmed that the maneuvers were part of a scheduled shooting training.

China reinforces its reunification speech. While the Chinese armed forces carried out these exercises, Wang Huning, the fourth leader in the hierarchy of the Communist Party, reiterated the official Beijing position on The “reunification” with Taiwan. During a meeting on issues related to the island, Wang stressed The need for China “Maintain the initiative and control over relations through the Taiwan Strait” and “advance without hesitation in the cause of the reunification of the homeland.”

What did the neighbor say? Taiwan’s government responded by rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty statements and reaffirmed that only the Taiwanese people You can decide your future. To all this we must remember that President Lai Ching-Te, whom China considers a “separatist”, has reiterated his commitment to the defense of Taiwanese democracy.

A day after cable cut. It We count yesterday. Frictions between Taiwan and China have not limited themselves to the military field. 24 hours before Chinese “simulation”, both parties exchanged accusations in relation to the Damage to an underwater cable of communications off the southwest coast of Taiwan.

The Taiwanese authorities arrested a freighter with Chinese crew, the Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, on suspicion of being involved in the incident. China, meanwhile, accused Taiwan of Manipulate the situation and launch accusations without conclusive evidence.

Not just that. Taiwan has revealed in the last hours that the Hong Tai 58 was already part of A list of 52 boats Linked to China that the island’s security agencies consider a potential threat to telecommunications infrastructure. Looking back, it is the fifth case around failures/cuts/Sabotage of submarine cables registered in the region so far this year. So much so, that the Taiwan government has established a parallel with similar incidents occurred in the Baltic Sea After the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What seems clear is that the situation in the area, far from appeasing, has climbed the confrontation in a few days. China continues reinforcing its military presence In the region, while Taiwan and its allies, particularly the United States, observe with concern the increase in these maneuvers and the hardening of the forced reunification discourse.

The combination of military pressure, sabotage of critical infrastructure and that growing belligerent rhetoric by Beijing points to an intimidation and wear strategy, one that raises the risk of an open conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Image | Naval Surface

In Xataka | Taiwan lives an unprecedented situation in three decades: there is an army of 53 planes and 90 Chinese ships in front of the island

In Xataka | Taiwan has just stopped a ship after cutting an underwater cable. The problem is that there are only Chinese citizens inside