Taiwan prez instructs military to boost surveillance to counter China

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has instructed the Taiwanese military to bolster its security surveillance amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, Focus Taiwan reported on Thursday.

Notably, the order comes amid the rising Middle East tensions.

Focus Taiwan reported that while speaking in a routine meeting with military officials on Thursday, the Taiwanese President observed that the conflict in the Middle East has not deterred China from continuing its pressure along the First and Second Island Chains, according to a statement released by the Presidential Office. 

 

It reported that on the contrary, the Chinese aircraft carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning, have recently been active in nearby waters, the President said. He added that Taiwan must remain in close contact with its allies to ensure it can respond swiftly under all circumstances.

As per Focus Taiwan, President Lai said the United States Indo-Pacific Command has raised its Force Protection Condition level across the region. He directed the Ministry of National Defence and the national security team to monitor the situation and its impact on regional security closely.

The frequent incursions and maritime operations reflect rising tensions between Taiwan and China, a relationship long fraught with geopolitical strain. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), governs itself independently with its own political and economic systems. 

 

However, China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory under the "One China" principle, insisting there is only one China with its capital in Beijing.

The dispute's roots trace back to the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the ROC government fled to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China.

Since then, Beijing has maintained its goal of reunification, using military, diplomatic, and economic means to apply pressure on Taiwan and diminish its international space.

Despite these efforts, Taiwan maintains its de facto independence with strong public support and continues to assert its sovereignty amid ongoing external pressures.