China promises more drills, but Taiwan undeterred

China's drills have reinforced Taiwan's low-key approach to navigating a great-power rivalry over its political future.

While China's show of force over President Nancy Pelosi's trip was meant to be a deterrent, it didn't have the desired effect in Taiwan, where military drills have reinforced a a prudent two-pronged strategy aimed at building international support, while avoiding open confrontation. .

The drills, which encircled the self-governing island and simulated a blockade, instead appear to have reinforced Taiwanese belief in the island's diplomatic, economic and military value maneuvers to find common ground in the great power clash between China and the United States.

Under President Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwanese officials have quietly courted Washington, making gains with arms sales and vows of support for acy democracy. They have also held back from flaunting this success, in an effort to avoid explosions from China, which claims the island as its own.

While Beijing s committed to normalizing military exercises ever closer to Taiwan, this approach is likely to guide the island's continued response, setting up new rounds of crises around one of the world's most dangerous hotspots .

When Beijing recently sent dozens of fighters across the median line separating the waters between China and Taiwan, the Taiwanese military said it was not s would not aggravate and took relatively mild countermeasures. Contrary to dire and blunt warnings from Chinese diplomats and state media, Taiwan issued restrained statements and welcomed a letter from the leaders of the Group of 7 Nations condemning the drills.

ImageTaiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, center, attending an event in Keelung, Taiwan, on Tuesday. She quietly sought support and arms sales from Washington, while avoiding open confrontation with Beijing. The military show was counterproductive, said Fan Shih-ping, a politics professor at National Taiwan Normal University.

"This time, the world has seen through China's actions,” he said. "Taiwan has become a new focus of the world."

Despite their shock and admiration, the exercises have harmed some of China's interests.

In Taiwan, they have galvanized opposition to China, adding to the growing urgency of the need to defend the island and diversify away from vis-à-vis economic dependence. -with respect to China. Within China's favored political party, the Kuomintang, they have sparked internal differences over how to maintain relations with Beijing as Taiwanese public opinion heats up. Abroad, they have raised awareness of Taiwan's plight, often ignored and misunderstood, and prompted condemnation of China's actions.

"The exercises of China have already drawn such strong criticism from the community. For Taiwan, it would be impossible to reduce future foreign engagement because of this. Instead, it only hopes to further strengthen its international involvement,” Mr. Fan said...