Taiwan is concerned that Beijing will use the distraction of the West to increase pressure on the island in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis, but officials in Taipei say there have been no unusual manoeuvres by Chinese forces in recent days.
The government, which is constantly on the lookout for what it perceives to be Chinese provocations, established a Ukraine working group under the National Security Council last month. China considers Taiwan to be its own territory, and has increased military activity near the self-governing island in recent years.
President Tsai Ing-wen stated at a working group meeting on Wednesday that Taiwan must start increasing its monitoring and vigilance on military activities in the region, as well as combat foreign misinformation, but while she did not specifically mention China.
Although Taiwan’s government claims that the island’s situation and Ukraine’s are “fundamentally different,” Tsai has demonstrated “empathy” for Ukraine’s situation due to the island’s military threat from China.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu alerted in two foreign media interviews the said month that they were watching closely to see if China would use the Ukraine crisis to launch an attack.
“China may consider using military force against Taiwan at any time,” he told Britain’s ITV News.
According to a senior Taiwan executive commonly associated with the government’s security planning, the chances of a sudden increase in military tension are “not high,” but Taipei has been keeping a close eye on any unusual Chinese activities.
The person mentioned the People’s Liberation Army’s joint military drills in Taiwan’s northeast and near the Miyako Strait near Japan’s southern islands, which have become far more frequent in the last month or so.