[International] PLA Claims Joint Drills with Indonesia in Taiwan Waters; US Urges Halt to Military Pressure on Taiwan
RtiTalk 小編10d ago
China claimed that its naval vessel Honghe and an Indonesian naval frigate conducted drills in the waters east of Taiwan, while Indonesia clarified it as a "passing exercise." The U.S. Department of State responded to CNA on the 12th, stating that Washington urges Beijing to cease its continuous military pressure on Taiwan and calls on other countries to encourage peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues rather than amplifying Beijing's destabilizing rhetoric.
Amidst ongoing military threats from China towards Taiwan, the PLA claimed that the Chinese naval vessel Honghe and the Indonesian naval frigate "Raden Eddy Martadinata" (KRI RE Martadinata-332) conducted live drills on the morning of the 12th in the waters east of Taiwan, covering "maritime communication, formation movement, replenishment at sea, and formation separation ceremony."
However, the Indonesian Navy stated that the KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai-332 (Indonesian frigate "Raden Eddy Martadinata") would conduct a "passing exercise" (PASSEX) with countries along its route while returning to Indonesia after concluding exercises in Vladivostok, Russia. These exercises are not inherently combat-oriented in nature.
In response, a State Department spokesperson, in a background briefing, told reporters that the United States urges Beijing to stop its continuous military pressure on Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.
The spokesperson added, "We call on other countries to encourage a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, rather than amplifying Beijing's destabilizing rhetoric."
Furthermore, John Dotson, Director of the Washington-based think tank Global Taiwan Institute, analyzed in an interview that due to concerns about Chinese provocations and the possibility of a military crisis in the Taiwan Strait, an increasingly close quasi-alliance relationship has formed between Japan and the Philippines, and "Beijing is retaliating against this."
He pointed out that Beijing is attempting to win over its regional partners while also using this situation as a pretext to expand its naval presence in the waters east of Taiwan. Therefore, the "drills" with the Indonesian frigate seem to be a step towards achieving these two goals.
He said, "It's just a small step, but it carries strong symbolic meaning."
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned China's disregard for international norms and responsibilities, and its escalation of regional tensions. It stated that after clarification, it can be confirmed that among all parties involved around the first island chain, only Beijing engages in malicious provocation and irresponsible actions. (Editor: Liu Xiang-hua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=225935
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