KMT Welcomes US Support Amid Escalating Tensions With China

In the wake of days of Chinese air incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ ), and statements of support from the U.S. and other allies backing Taiwan, the nation’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) today issued a statement addressing American demands that China stop using military intimidation and economic threats against Taiwan.

Essentially welcoming the “the US government’s continued preservation of the cross-Strait framework of over forty years”, the statement went on to “further welcome the declarations of support US President Biden’s team has been making since late 2020 for a cross-Strait plan in line with the Taiwanese people’s best interests” calling the incursions by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force “intensive harassment of the airspace nearby Taiwan.”

The KMT went on to “call upon the PLA to exercise some restraint, especially with Chinese New Year approaching” adding that “the Chinese Communist authorities should be cognizant that regarding the ties of cross-Strait relations, both sides are equally responsible and should peacefully resolve issues by means of political channels. Nothing will be resolved by PLA Air Force aircraft intruding into the ROC air defense identification zone.”

Just yesterday Zhao Lijian, China’s foreign ministry spokesman said the recent arrival if U.S. naval forces in waters off Taiwan were “not conducive to peace and stability in the region” calling an aircraft carrier group now present south of Taiwan-proper, “a show of force”.

For her part, Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen meanwhile has been surprisingly low-key on the issue, although a number of Tweets expressing her support for Taiwan’s armed forces have appeared on her official Twitter account in recent days.

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.