Taiwan says it is not seeking an arms race with China
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[October 27, 2021]
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan is not
seeking to get into an arms race with China but does need to defend
itself and will not submit to pressure, its defence ministry said in a
report to parliament on Wednesday.
Tensions between Taiwan and China, which claims the
democratically-governed island as its own territory, have spiked over
the past year as Beijing ups its military and political pressure to
force Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty.
That has included repeated missions by Chinese warplanes in Taiwan's air
defence identification zone, or ADIZ, which covers a broader area than
Taiwan's territorial air space which Taiwan monitors and patrols to give
it more time to respond to any threats.
China is in the midst of a military modernisation programme, building
new aircraft carriers and stealth fighters, while Taiwan is also
increasing military spending, especially on developing new missiles and
submarines.
In its report to parliament, Taiwan's Defence Ministry described the
situation in the Taiwan Strait that separates it from its giant
neighbour as "severe and unstable" and labelled the actions of China's
military "provocation".
"Taiwan will not engage in an arms race with the Chinese Communists'
military and will not seek military confrontation, hoping for peaceful
coexistence across the strait," it said.
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"But in the face of the Chinese Communists' threat to our national
security, we will do our best to defend our country's sovereignty and
will never give in under duress."
What it termed the "confrontation" between Taiwan and China would be
"difficult to alleviate in the short term".
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The flag of Taiwan flies on a scooter driving through a village on
Kinmen, Taiwan, October 18, 2021. Sitting on the front line between
Taiwan and China, Kinmen is the last place where the two engaged in
major fighting, in 1958 at the height of the Cold War, and where
memories of war are burned into minds decades later. REUTERS/Ann
Wang
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The military will strive to hone its abilities to
monitor Chinese aircraft and ships so it can react earlier, and will
also exchange intelligence with foreign countries so it can be fully
informed of the regional security situation, it added.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday in Beijing, a Chinese government
spokesman reiterated their determination to prevent Taiwan's formal
independence and bring the island under China's rule, preferably
peacefully.
But Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office,
added: "We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve
the option to take all necessary measures".
Democratically-ruled Taiwan says it is an independent country and
will defend itself if attacked.
The tensions have sparked international concern of a conflict that
could pit the United States and its allies against China.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by
Beijing newsroom, Editing by William Maclean)
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