TAOYUAN, Taiwan: Taiwan Vice President William Lai returned on Friday from a sensitive visit to the United States, a trip China has condemned and which has brought warnings from Taiwanese officials it could prompt more Chinese military drills near the island.
鈥淏ecause of everyone鈥檚 hard work, Taiwan鈥檚 power is stronger and stronger, and it showed the international community that Taiwan is a force for good, that the international community really pays great attention to Taiwan,鈥� he said after returning to Taiwan鈥檚 main international airport at Taoyuan.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has denounced the transit stops in the US, calling Lai a separatist and a 鈥渢roublemaker.鈥�
Taiwanese officials have said China is likely to conduct military exercises this week near the island, using Lai鈥檚 US stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of next year鈥檚 presidential election and make them 鈥渇ear war.鈥�
Democratically governed Taiwan has so far not reported any unusual Chinese military movements near the island.
Amid heightened tensions between the China and the US, Asia has seen a flurry of military posturing and joint drills on both sides in recent weeks.
On Thursday, Japan鈥檚 government reported 11 Chinese and Russian naval ships, including destroyers, had crossed waters between the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako, a waterway crucial to access to the Pacific and East China Seas.
The islands lie directly to the east of Taiwan and Okinawa is home to a major US military base.
A person familiar with security planning in the region told Reuters the China-Russian fleet had conducted simulation attacks on US forces stationed in Okinawa as well as drills to seize strategic locations.
The US Ronald Reagan carrier strike group was also in the waters about 800 nautical miles (1,500 km) off Taiwan鈥檚 eastern coast as of Thursday evening, the person added.
A spokesperson at Japan鈥檚 Joint Staff Office said it was not aware of any such simulations by the Chinese and Russian fleets.
鈥淭hey have not intruded into Japan鈥檚 territorial waters and we have not confirmed any dangerous behavior,鈥� the spokesperson said.
鈥淲e have offered through diplomatic channels that the repeated joint actions of Chinese and Russian forces in the sea and airspace around Japan are a serious concern from a security perspective.鈥�
Russia鈥檚 defense ministry said on Friday the Russian and Chinese ships 鈥渃onducted anti-submarine drills, repelled an air raid by a mock enemy, trained for rescue operations at sea, and mastered skills for take offs and landings on decks of war ships.鈥�
The US Navy鈥檚 7th Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did China鈥檚 Taiwan Affairs Office nor the Chinese defense ministry.
STOPOVER DIPLOMACY
On Friday, the Taiwan defense ministry鈥檚 official news agency put out a slickly produced publicity video showing fighters jets taking off and missiles being readied.
鈥淣obody can encroach on our sovereignty,鈥� reads an accompanying caption for the video entitled 鈥淭he military of the Republic of China is duty-bound to maintain regional peace and stability,鈥� referring to Taiwan鈥檚 formal name.
Lai officially only made transits in the United States, first in New York and then in San Francisco, on his way to and from Paraguay to attend the new president鈥檚 inauguration in one of only 13 countries that maintains formal ties with Taipei.
While in the United States, he gave speeches to the Taiwanese community and met officials from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a US government-run non-profit that handles unofficial relations.
Lai is frontrunner to be Taiwan鈥檚 next president at elections set for January. President Tsai Ing-wen cannot run again after two terms.
China especially dislikes Lai because of comments he has previously made about being a 鈥減ractical worker for Taiwan independence,鈥� though he has pledged on the campaign trail to maintain the status quo and offered talks with Beijing.
Speaking after stepping off his flight, Lai made only passing mention of his US stopovers, concentrating instead on Paraguay and pledges of support he received there.
鈥淭hank you for your contributions to the country and to society,鈥� he said, 鈥渁llowing Taiwan to very progressively, self confidently and respectfully go into the international community, and winning the support of the international community.鈥�