Chinese military activities around Taiwan over recent years are an effort to establish a new status quo. That was the word from Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng on Tuesday.
On Sunday US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not believe China would attack Taiwan soon. But Austin added that recent Chinese military activities were creating a new status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has been conducting unprecedented military drills around Taiwan since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit in August.
Minister Chiu says China’s recent activities do represent a change in the status quo. He says regardless of Beijing’s plans, Taiwan is preparing its national defense. He says Taiwan does consider information from other countries, but that information won’t convince Taiwan’s leaders to let their guard down.
Chiu adds Taiwan is currently producing two new battleships to replace old parts of its fleet partly in response to heightened threats from China.