DEFENSE/Chinese blockade would trigger military response from Taiwan: Minister

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) A Chinese blockade around Taiwan would constitute an "act of aggression" as defined by the United Nations, and Taiwan's military would respond with anti-blockade measures and wartime deployments, Taiwan's defense minister said Wednesday.

At a legislative hearing, ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Lo Meei-ling (羅美玲) brought up the Oct. 14 Joint Sword 2024-B drills China held around Taiwan, which loosely simulated maneuvers used in a blockade.

She then asked Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) how Taiwan would respond if China were to enforce an extended blockade around Taiwan.

Koo said that blockades, as defined under international law, are acts of war in which a country's air and sea traffic are completely embargoed by an enemy nation using military force.

Under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314, blockades are categorized as an act of aggression, Koo said.

If a Chinese blockade were to occur, it would have deep implications for the world, given how critical a transportation route the Taiwan Strait is for the international community, he said.

Taiwan's armed forces, in turn, would begin wartime deployments and tap into the country's "defense resiliency," he said.

Prior to the hearing, Koo said 20 percent of the value of global trade transported by sea goes through the Taiwan Strait, and if there were a blockade, the international community would "definitely" have to respond, he said.