Beijing considers Taiwan nothing more than a rogue province that needs to be brought to heel
CBC/Radio-Canada
Date: Apr 19, 2018
By: Saša Petricic, CBC News
China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier and its accompanying fleet conducts a drill in an area of the South China Sea. (Reuters)
China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier and its accompanying fleet conducts a drill in an area of the South China Sea.(Reuters)Beijing’s threat was vague but ominous — a warning from the Maritime Authority to stay out of a parcel of ocean in the Taiwan Strait.
“Live-fire drills to check Taiwan independence,” declared the Global Times, a tabloid that often reflects China’s most hawkish leadership voices.
Chinese commentators predicted a show of force involving the aircraft carrier Liaoning to “punish” the island’s leaders who are “obstinately promoting ‘Taiwan independence’.”
Indeed, this week’s manoeuvring was as much a propaganda exercise as a military one, firing off the kind of verbal shots the leadership here does more and more.
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