New Delhi:Taiwan has urged China to exercise self-restraint and stop undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond.
China on May 23 launched a two-day military drill around Taiwan called Joint Sword-2024A, escalating tension in the region.
In a post on X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) said, "CPC military drills around Taiwan escalate tension in the region. We urge China to exercise self-restraint and stop undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond. We will continue to safeguard the cross-strait status quo and firmly uphold our democracy".
It has been evident to all that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait have become a matter of international consensus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said.
The MOFA, Taiwan expressed regret that China, despite continuous and strong international concern over developments in the Taiwan Strait, has repeatedly threatened Taiwan’s democracy and unilaterally disrupted the cross-strait status quo and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
"The Republic of China (Taiwan) will spare no effort in safeguarding the cross-strait status quo and urges China to return to reason and show self-restraint, to stop unilaterally undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and to refrain from actions that raise regional tensions", it added.
The MOFA reiterated that Taiwan will continue to firmly uphold democracy. This commitment will not change as a result of any coercion or suppression. Taiwan is a bastion of global democracy and freedom. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperative ties with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, uphold the rule-based international order, protect the cross-strait status quo and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, it said.
The situation remains closely monitored by the international community, as maintaining peace and stability across the strait is crucial for all parties involved.
Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army said on Friday that China’s military drills around Taiwan are designed to test its ability to “seize power” over the island as its forces kicked off a second day of large-scale exercises encircling its democratic neighbour.
The drills are the largest in more than a year and come just days after Taiwan swore in its new president, Lai Ching-te. It is pertinent to note that Beijing has denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist and decried his inauguration speech on Monday, during which he called on China to cease its intimidation of Taiwan, which has grown much more pronounced under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.