Chinese "blockade" would be act of war: Taiwan

Taiwan’s defence chief has warned that a Chinese "blockade" would be an act of war and have far-reaching consequences for international trade after Beijing held military exercises to encircle the self-governed island.

Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo made his comments on Wednesday as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continued exercises near the democratically-ruled island after last week carrying out war games that included a simulated blockade.

“If you really want to carry out a so-called blockade, which according to international law is to prohibit all aircraft and ships entering the area, then according to United Nations resolutions it is regarded as a form of war,” Koo said in remarks to reporters at parliament.

“I want to stress that drills and exercises are totally different from a blockade, as would be the impact on the international community,” Koo added.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has said it reserves the right to use force to bring it under its control, with the PLA regularly holding drills – including simulating blockading key ports and assaulting maritime and ground targets – around the island.

Taiwan, also known by its official name the Republic of China, has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Beijing also asserts jurisdiction over the entirety of the Taiwan Strait, a 180km-wide (110-mile) waterway separating mainland China from Taiwan.

Taiwan and other members of the international community reject Beijing’s claim, with the United States, Japan and several European countries asserting its status as an international waterway.

The US navy, in particular, regularly sails through the strait to maintain freedom of navigation rights.

Koo, who noted that one-fifth of global freight passes through the strait, said that the international community “could not sit by and just watch” if China were to impose a blockade.

Taiwan’s defence ministry announced earlier on Wednesday that Chinese aircraft carriers, led by the Liaoning carrier, travelled north through the waterway after passing through waters near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas islands.

During the previous 24 hours, Taiwan’s military detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and six navy vessels in the skies and waters around the island, the defence ministry said.

“The Liaoning is passing through the Taiwan Strait now, sailing north along the west of the median line and we are closely monitoring it,” Koo said.

Taiwan has reported almost daily Chinese military drills around the island for the past five years, but activity has intensified since April’s election of outspoken President William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has labelled a “dangerous separatist”.

On October 14, Beijing launched large-scale military drills – code-named “Joint Sword-2024B” and involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force – in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.

Beijing said the drills, which came soon after Lai delivered his National Day speech on October 10, were issued as a “stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces”.