After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s short visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, China, which had threatened to intensify its military activities in the region, has increased tensions around the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing’s anger does not seem to subside after the visit of the chief u.s. deputy to taiwan. Just hours after Nancy Pelosi left, 27 Chinese military aircraft entered the Taiwanese air defense zone. Beijing, which had announced targeted military actions in the event of the arrival of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has therefore begun to carry out its threats.
These military actions are expected to intensify this Thursday with maneuvers that will involve long-range live ammunition fire in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China, according to the Chinese Ministry of Defense. According to the coordinates published by the Chinese army, part of the military operations must take place 20 kilometers from the coast of Taiwan.
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While no international body had yet expressed itself concerning this tension around the Taiwan Strait, the G7 finally called on Beijing to resolve the situation peacefully. In a press release, the heads of diplomacy of the seven richest countries (United States, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom) recalled that it was normal and routine for the legislators of the member countries of the G7 to travel internationally. There is therefore no justification for using a visit as a pretext for aggressive activity, they said. According to them, Beijing’s response could well fuel tensions and destabilize the region.
A counter-productive visit?
In the meantime, and although they have all been careful not to openly criticize Nancy Pelosi’s Asian tour, Washington’s allies in the region do not look so favorably on the arrival of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who fuels already tense tensions between Washington and Beijing. Japan thus says it is concerned about the Chinese maneuvers with live ammunition, which will take place in front of its door. Tokyo points out that “ Taiwan issues should be settled peacefully ».
Further tensions are also not in the interest of Australia, which is calling on China and the United States to ” de-escalation “. Boycotted by Beijing for asking for an investigation into the origins of Covid, Canberra is struggling to regain the confidence of China necessary to sell its wine and coal. Not to mention that Australian planes have already been intercepted by Chinese fighter jets in the past.
Joe Biden, who had so patiently forged strong ties with his allies in the Asia-Pacific region to counter the growing influence of China, today sees his strategy undermined, estimates the New York Times. According to an Australian intelligence expert, quoted by the daily, Nancy Pelosi’s visit triggered “ an unnecessary crisis that risks turning out to be an own goal ».
