Monday, August 22, 2016

Taiwan begins largest military maneuver amid tension with China

Taiwan began on Monday its largest military maneuver of the year, Han Kuang, in which it will simulate an attack from China amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the arrival in power of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen of the independent Democratic Progressive Party.


The real-life fire drills will continue until Friday and Tsai is expected to attend the exercises on Thursday as commander-in-chief, for the first time since coming to power on May 20, although the news hasn't yet been officially confirmed.

This year, the maneuvers will also include exercises against possible cyber-attacks, Taiwanese agency CNA reported.

The Air Force will kick off the maneuvers and the Army and the Navy will join in on subsequent days, the agency added.

On Thursday, the day Tsai is expected to inspect the drills, all three branches of the military will conduct joint exercises in the Pingtung County in the southern extreme of the island.

  • According to local media reports, up to 10,000 reservists have been mobilized for Han Kuang, Taiwan's annual exercises to counter Chinese invasion should it formally declare its independence.

This year, the maneuvers come at a moment of tension between the two sides, after the arrival in power of Tsai, who has refused to succumb to pressure from China to recognize the 1992 Consensus that the mainland says means Taiwan is part of China.

Since Tsai became president, China has exerted pressure on her to accept the Consensus by reducing imports, limiting the number of mainland tourists allowed to visit the island and attempting to isolate Taiwan within the international community.

The 1992 Consensus is an ambiguous agreement that was reached following the 1992 talks in Hong Kong between China and the Taiwanese administration of the Kuomintang Party.

Under the agreement, both countries acknowledge the existence of 'one China' but define it in their own way.

The agreement paved the way for the first negotiations between China and Taiwan since 1949 at a meeting that took place in Singapore in 1993, leading to closer economic and social ties between the two countries under the Taiwanese leadership of Ma Ying-jeou, which now appear to be under threat with Tsai's refusal to accept it.
 EFE/EPA
22/8/16

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