After military exercises: Taiwan sits down at the table and says blocking China would be an act of war

The Minister of Defense of Taiwan Wellington Koo, warned that a real blockade of China on the territory would be an act of war which would have significant consequences on international trade.

The portfolio holder’s declarations were given this Wednesday, October 23 and are positioned after Chinese forces practiced this scenario during exercises in the middle of the month.

Over the past five years, Troops commanded by Beijing carried out military activities almost daily around the island.

These included simulations of blockades and port attacks .

It is good to remember that The People’s Republic of China (PRC) headed by Xi Jinping considers Taiwan to be part of its territory which is rejected by local leaders.

During a press briefing in Parliament, the Taiwanese Minister of Defense said that under international law a blockade would prohibit all aircraft and ships from entering the area .

“Thus, according to United Nations resolutions, It is considered a form of war “, he assured in statements collected by the international press agency Reuters .

Under this line he added: “I would like to emphasize that drills and exercises are totally different from a blockade, as is the impact on the international community “.

Wellington Koo pointed out that a blockade of China would have consequences beyond its territory.

According to the minister, A fifth of the world’s cargo passes through the Taiwan Strait. .

“The international community cannot stand by and simply observe” he declared.

The same Wednesday, October 23, the Ministry of Defense accused that a group of aircraft carriers belonging to China crossed the Taiwan Strait .

They claimed to have traveled north after passing in the waters near the Pratas Islands which are controlled by the Taiwanese government.

From the ministry they detailed that The ships were sighted Tuesday evening and were headed by Liaoning the oldest of three Chinese aircraft carriers, found Reuters.

The Pratas Islands are located at the northern end of the South China Sea .

Consulted on this situation by the aforementioned international press agency, China’s Defense Ministry declined to comment. .

However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing in Beijing: – as they consider Taiwan to be part of their territory – “there is nothing more normal than Chinese aircraft carriers operating on their own territory and in their own waters.” .

The aircraft carrier Liaoning also participated in recent military exercises .

SO, from Taiwan, they said it was operating off the island’s southeastern coast by launching planes from its deck.

For his part, In September, Japan accused the same aircraft carrier of entering its adjacent waters. for the first time.

Chinese authorities have said they would be prepared to engage in military confrontation to gain control of Taiwan. .

The president of The United States, Joe Biden, also expressed his intentions to react in the event of a possible direct attack or invasion of its forces.

Different analysts have stated that Taiwan has a strategic relevance key in the region both from an economic point of view and from a geopolitical and military point of view.

Even if The United States does not recognize it as an independent state, maintains informal ties with the Taiwanese authorities and has expressed against territory controlled by the PRC.

Information collected by Reuters they detail that The Taiwanese government is concerned about China’s use of its coast guard in recent maneuvers. military.

Also for the possible possibility that its civilian ships could be boarded or inspected as China attempts to assert its authority across the strait.

In a report presented to Parliament on Wednesday, the Taiwanese Coast Guard He said that if this happened, his ships would react according to the principle of “neither provoke nor retreat” and would put an end to these acts “with all their might”. .