DEFENSE/Lai convenes security meeting to respond to Chinese military drills

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) convened a high-level national security meeting on Monday instructing Taiwan's armed forces and other government agencies to handle military drills China announced it had launched around Taiwan from this morning.

The nation's armed forces are "fully monitoring" the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) drills, and the Executive Yuan is also paying attention to other issues concerning social stability, Presidential Office Spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.

In a statement released to the press on Monday, Kuo reiterated Taipei's emphasis on "the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," which she said was also the "broad consensus among the international community."

"China should face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and respect the Taiwanese people's choice of a democratic and free way of life," she said. "It should cease military provocations that undermine regional peace and stability, and stop threatening Taiwan's democracy and freedom."

"China should understand the goodwill expressed by the President on National Day and address its own domestic economic and livelihood issues, rather than persisting in using military force to coerce neighboring countries."

"In the face of external threats, our government will continue to defend the free and democratic constitutional system, with full confidence and capability to safeguard national security," Kuo was quoted as saying in the press release.

Meanwhile, National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told reporters in Taipei on Monday morning that the drill is "inconsistent" with international protocols that live-fire exercises on the open seas should be announced in advance.

China's drill, code-named "Joint Sword-2024B," also violates the "fundamental spirit" of the United Nations Charter that stipulates that the peaceful settlement of disputes is a mandatory obligation for member states, according to Wu.

"The president has convened a high-level meeting on national security in response to the threat from China's military and has issued clear instructions," Wu told reporters.

Government agencies are also preparing for any potential Chinese actions that could affect Taiwan's society and economy, Wu added.

The PLA's drill announcement earlier this morning only said it would begin the exercises the same day but did not say how long the drills would last, Wu told reporters, adding that the government is "watching closely" to see whether they will be expanded or extended.

China's announcement of a military drill came four days after President Lai gave his National Day address on Oct. 10, in which he said China has "no right to represent Taiwan" and reiterated that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate" to each other.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) criticized Lai for using various means to "sell the fallacy of 'Taiwan independence,'" and accused him of revealing "his pernicious intention to escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait for political gain."

The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and pledges to eventually bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary, despite having never ruled the country.

In addition to military air and naval incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on a near-daily basis in recent years, China conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan following President Lai's inauguration speech in May.