TAIPEI/BEIJING, May 19 (Reuters) – China is the greatest source of regional unease and instability due to its ongoing military activities, Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday, as the Chinese navy announced it had sent a carrier task force into the Western Pacific for training.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its military and political pressure and has rebuffed repeated calls for talks from President Lai Ching-te, labelling him a “separatist”.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei ahead of Wednesday’s second anniversary of Lai taking office, Cho expressed concern about what China was up to.
“The People’s Republic of China continues to conduct military exercises of various scales and types in the Taiwan Strait region, the Indo-Pacific region, the South China Sea, and even around Japan, affecting navigational safety,” he said.
“This is the greatest source of regional unease and instability.”
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cho’s comments.
CHINESE CARRIER GROUP
China’s armed forces operate almost daily around Taiwan, and on Tuesday its navy said that a carrier task group, led by the Liaoning, had been sent to the “relevant waters” of the Western Pacific, though it did not give an exact location.
The ships will carry out live firing and other drills to “test and enhance the realistic combat training capabilities of the forces”, it said in a statement.
“This is a routine training organised in accordance with the annual plan, which aims to enhance the military’s capability to fulfil its missions, and is fully in compliance with international law and practice.”
Cho reiterated that the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, is a “sovereign and independent country”, and again called for talks.
“We still hope for healthy and orderly exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and for dialogue based on equality and dignity. This has been our consistent principle.”
On Wednesday morning, Lai will hold a news conference to mark his second year in office.
In addition to delivering remarks for the anniversary, Lai will outline the administration’s “future national vision and policy direction”, his office said in a brief statement.
Lai also faces domestic challenges given the opposition hold the most seats in parliament and have used their majority to stymie government plans, especially defence spending, and pass their own legislation.
On Tuesday, a move by parliament to impeach Lai failed, a largely symbolic vote given it needed two-thirds of lawmakers to support it and the opposition lack the numbers for that.
(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard in Taipei, and Beijing newsroom; Additional reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christian Schmollinger)
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