KAOSHON, Taiwan, May 16 (Reuters) – Taiwanese President Lai Qingte offered support and encouragement to the military on Friday ahead of the government’s warning that it would be a new round of Chinese military exercises near the island from next week.
A senior government spokesperson cannot rule out China’s “treat” more military training in Taiwan on Thursday to “stoke trouble” around the first anniversary of Tuesday.
China called Lai a “separatist” and rejected his multiple offers of consultations. Lai rejects China’s sovereignty claims to be an island governed entirely from democracy, saying that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
Lai visited Army engineers and anti-submarine helicopter crews at a base in the southern part of Kao Sion and thanked them for their efforts before the traditional Dragon Boat Festival at the end of the month.
Army engineers and naval anti-submarine aviation commanders are “the foundation of the military power of the National Army” and are also essential to the overall defense strategy,” he told a group of helicopter crews during lunch at Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung.
“It is only for your hard work and dedication that your army will continue to flourish and that the people of our nation can live and work in peace and happiness,” he added. “Let’s work together to protect national security.”
Lai, who has not directly mentioned China or the possibilities of more training, was accompanied by two of his most senior defense secretaries, Wellington Ku and Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Joseph Wu.
China’s Ministry of Defense and the Taiwan Issues Agency said this week that Lai is a “Taiwan Strait Crisis Maker” that will increase hostility and conflict and undermine peace and stability.
Last month, China held a war game around Taiwan called the code “Strait Thunder-2025a.”
China was called the “Kyo-Sword” drill in May 2024, and was held shortly after Lai took office, and in October of that year, the “Kyo-Sword-2024b” was performed.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
