A Taiwanese Air Force F-16 in the foreground flies on the flank of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force H-6 bomber in 2020.Credit:AP
“The Australian government continues to watch very carefully what is happening in the Taiwan Strait,” Reynolds said. “We would say to all parties to settle their disputes peacefully and to do it in accordance with international law. And to take into consideration the wishes of people on both sides of the strait.”
The democratic island,which China is determined to unify with by 2049,is set to become a focal point of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitions after the Chinese Communist Party suppressed the pro-independence and pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. The sudden ramp up in military incursions,the largest since August,included six J-10 fighter planes,four J-16 strike fighters and two anti-submarine aircraft.
Taiwan’s President,Tsai Ing-Wen,and Foreign Minister,Joseph Wu,have made direct public appeals to the Australian government to help prevent China from further expansionism. Wu warned in December that Chinese military build up had made Taipei very concerned about “the real prospect” of Beijing launching a military attack against Taiwan. Tsai has said the risk of accidental conflict driven by the military sorties is rising.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Mark Harrison,a Taiwan expert at the University of Tasmania,said China’s recent actions were “a systematic escalation of the round of military intimidation” but were also aimed at testing the early days of the Biden administration.
The US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the South China Sea on Saturday. The US State Department on Monday said it had urged Beijing to cease its military,diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan.