China says that Trump has crossed a ‘red line’ in signing Taiwan Travel Act and will respond with ‘military means’ if high-level contacts occur

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/19
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two days after President Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act,

China People’s Liberation Army soldiers. (By Wikimedia Commons)

China stated through its state-run mouthpiece the Global Times that it will respond with “military pressure.”

Dated March 18, the Global Times cited “Chinese observers” as saying:

“China will and should take timely countermeasures against the US and all ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces through diplomatic and military means if U.S. legislation that encourages high-level contact between the U.S. and the island of Taiwan is implemented.”
It then cited a retired People’s Liberation Army general as saying the signing of the bill was a “serious political provocation” and had “crossed the ‘red line.'”

The Chinese tabloid then hinted that certain activities now permitted under the Taiwan Travel Act could be construed as a violation of China’s Anti-Secession Law and therefore would lead to a situation in which “the Taiwan question is solved through non-peaceful means.”    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese politician Wang Yang is expected to play an important role in embarking on economic propaganda targeting Taiwan, according to a Chinese-language Liberty Times report

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/04
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Chinese politician Wang Yang, anticipated to succeed

Chinese politician Wang Yang (By Wikimedia Commons)

Yu Zhengsheng, the current chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is expected to play an important role in embarking on economic propaganda targeting Taiwan, according to a Chinese-language Liberty Times report.

Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee Taiwan Work Leading Small Group has traditionally been China’s mechanism for steering direction of Taiwan affairs, and the small group has been led by Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao when they were Chinese presidents. Currently the CC Taiwan Work Leading Small Group is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the deputy leader of the group has been Yu, the CPPCC chairman.    [FULL  STORY]

SALAMI TACTICS: A high-level official said China wants to ‘deepen its friendship with Taiwan’ a day after state media threatened war over a Taiwan-friendly US bill

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 04, 2018
By:  Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter, with Reuters, BEIJING

Beijing is expected to further constrict Taiwan’s international space by intervening in the

National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Yu Zhengsheng delivers a report during the opening session of the conference in Beijing yesterday.  Photo: AFP

nation’s relations with key players in the international community, following a government restructuring that is expected to be approved by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its annual meeting tomorrow.

Using “salami tactics” — a divide-and-conquer process of using threats and alliances to overcome opposition — China is expected to focus more on influencing Taiwan’s relations with key international players, such as the US, while continuing to conduct military drills near Taiwan, court its diplomatic allies and ramp up military and economic pressure on the nation, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported yesterday.

While it is unclear how the restructuring would affect China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) and other agencies responsible for Beijing’s Taiwan policy, former Chinese ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi (劉結一) is expected to play a role, the newspaper said.

Liu is TAO deputy chairman.    [FULL  STORY]

POWER PROJECTION:The ‘Liaoning’ is to be open to the public in Hong Kong to show the ‘military might’ of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, a Xinhua report said

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 03, 2017
By: Reuters, BEIJING

Taiwanese military jets scrambled to shadow a Chinese aircraft carrier passing through the Taiwan

Chinese navy personnel stand in front of a banner which reads “Hope Hong Kong has an even better tomorrow” in Chinese at a naval base in Hong Kong on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Strait en route to Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Saturday swore in Hong Kong’s new leader with a stark warning that Beijing would not tolerate any challenge to its authority in the divided territory, in his strongest speech yet amid concerns over what some perceive as increased meddling by Beijing.

The Soviet-built Liaoning, whose home port is in northern China, on Saturday entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and was sailing just west of the middle of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Taiwan deployed military jets and ships to monitor the fleet’s passage, the ministry said.
[FULL  STORY]

PREPARED:The military is to incorporate virtual and augmented-reality training into its program, while steps have been taken to improve digital warfare capability

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 02, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

The Ministry of National Defense said Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile

A Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile system is displayed at an unnamed military base in northern Taiwan during the Han Kuang No. 31 military exercise on June 11, 2015. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times

batteries have been deployed on the east coast in response to an increased Chinese military presence in the area.

To improve integrated air defense capabilities, the ministry has deployed missiles to Hualien and Taitung counties, and merged the Air Defense Missile Command with the air force to streamline the chain of command, a ministry report submitted to the Legislative Yuan said.

The reorganization and relocation was ordered after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted several long-distance naval and aviation training missions — featuring an aircraft carrier and fleets of nuclear-capable bombers — in the East China Sea, South China Sea, East Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean to demonstrate its long-range power projection capabilities and Beijing’s ambition to dominate the Asia-Pacific region.

Annual military exercises would test the effectiveness of the deployments, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]