Chinese military high schools are causing “instability” in Taiwan and the region and are “irresponsible” actions for any major country, President Tsai Ing-wen said today after Beijing announced the end of a three-day exercise around the island.

High school classes began on Saturday after Ms. Tsai returned from a tour of Central America during which she made two “passes” through the US, meeting for the second time with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. , California.

However, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense announced that eight ships of the Chinese Navy continue to operate around the island.

The Chinese government, which has warned the US government not to allow Ms. Cai to make an official visit or meet with Mr. McCarthy, has never ruled out using force to reunite Taiwan, which it calls a breakaway province, with the mainland. The Taiwanese government, which has increasingly rejected China’s position especially since Ms. Cai was elected president, has loudly denounced the high schools, which were seen as retaliation for her contacts in the US.

Through Facebook, Ms. Cai emphasized that “I represent my country to the world,” that visiting the US is nothing new, and that’s what Taiwan’s 23 million people expect from her.

However, “China used this to promote military high schools, which caused instability in Taiwan and the region. This is not the responsible behavior of any major country in the region,” he said.

The Chinese military conducted simulations of targeted strikes and blockades in high schools, involving dozens of fighters and bombers, as well as warships, including an aircraft carrier.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said 91 Chinese aircraft flew around the island on Monday, a record number, the Central News Agency said, although the ministry declined to confirm.

Ms. Cai assured that the Taiwanese military and coast guard responded calmly and professionally. “Our national army and national security team remain in place and will protect the country,” he said.

Concern in Japan too

High schools are also a concern in Japan, whose southern islands are close to Taiwan and could be at risk if conflict breaks out. Okinawa is home to a major US air base, and as China also launched large-scale strikes to protest a visit to Taipei by Mr. McCarthy’s Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi, Chinese missiles landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada also referred today to Chinese high schools, which he described as an attempt to “intimidate” as they intended to seize control of the air and sea around the island. Mr. Hamada told reporters that through high schools, China seems to have realized that its behavior towards Taipei is becoming more and more “irreconcilable.”

Unity in Taiwan

However, there were no signs of panic or shutdown in Taiwan due to the exercise, and civilian flights to the island and across the Taiwan Strait were not suspended.

In a rare show of unity, Taiwan’s ruling party and the opposition issued a joint statement condemning China’s middle schools. “The people and government of Taiwan have the right to freely exchange with other countries and contribute to the international community,” the text says, while “Chinese authorities have no right to interfere” in these activities and “cannot change Taiwan’s strong will to interacting with the world.”

Only 13 countries recognize Taiwan internationally, including Belize and Guatemala, which Ms. Tsai visited on her tour after her first “flight” from New York.

The US continues to pursue a policy of so-called “strategic ambiguity” on the Taiwan issue. Washington has officially recognized Beijing since 1979, but it remains Taipei’s main protectorate and its main arms supplier.

Support for the island is one of the few issues on which there is absolute bipartisanship in the US Congress. Under Tsai Ing-wen’s presidency, Taiwan’s relations with the US have strengthened more than ever.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.