The United States, Japan and South Korea increase armed cooperation. China and Russia have military exercises in the region, which Finland also depends on, Asian correspondent Mika Hentunen writes.
Mika Hentunen
BEIJING China’s reaction was expected, but this already felt like overshooting.
Warships and destroyers near Taiwan’s territorial waters, warlike videos on main TV news, websites and social media.
The Taiwanese are used to this kind of thing, but the comments of the local politicians were also concerned about angering their big neighbor.
China was angered by the trip of Taiwan’s vice president. William Lai visited the United States to collect feathers in his hat for next January’s presidential election.
Lai, from the ruling Democratic Party, is number one in opinion polls, which dismays China. Lai is a sales cannon for an independent Taiwan that would bring Taiwan closer politically to the United States.
China considers Taiwan, with a population of 23 million, as its own island. The Communist Party’s goal is for Taiwan to be officially part of the People’s Republic of China no later than 2049, when it turns 100 years old.
On Saturday, China showed that it has the power to take Taiwan by force if it wants to.
Taiwan is the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer. More than 60 percent of all semiconductors come from there.
If Taiwan became a battleground, it would have immediate effects on the world economy, including Finland.
The Taiwan Strait and the South China and East China Seas surrounding Taiwan have become even more dangerous.
In the South China Sea, there have been several close-quarters and skirmish situations between China and its neighboring countries and the US armed forces in recent months.
China is currently training with the Russians in the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean of Japan to keep their fighters ready.
China’s anger was increased by the fact that the prime ministers of Japan and South Korea also visited the United States.
They met the president Joe Biden at Camp David.
Biden said that China was not really on the agenda, but of course it was discussed. In reality, China influenced the entire agenda, as the leaders discussed not only their economic relations, but also the deepening of their countries’ military cooperation.
Biden has put together a coalition in the Pacific region corresponding to the Chinese threat, which would work in cooperation with NATO.
The US, UK and Australia already have AUKUS. Biden wants closer military cooperation than the current one also with Japan and South Korea.
All this angers China even more.