Has the direction of the wind changed? Lai Qingde threatened to "go to war at any time," and the intention of provocation was clearly revealed; when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) countermeasures came, Hong Xiuzhu also went to the mainland to promote reunification. What provocative remarks did Lai Qingde make when it concerns peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait? How did the PLA counter it?
As the date of Lai Qingde's inauguration approaches, the situation in the Taiwan Strait has also entered a period of high tension. According to Taiwan media sources, during his inspection of the air defense units of the Taiwan Air Force a few days ago, Lai Ching-te made a remark that the Taiwan military must maintain combat readiness 24 hours a day, so that the world can see its determination to "defend Taiwan." Some analysts believe that Lai Qingde, who has threatened to be ready to "go to war" with the mainland at any time, is speeding up the change of the direction of the wind on the island, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait may face an even more severe test as a result.
Some experts in the industry have pointed out that the series of military exercises recently taken by the DPP authorities and the "small move" of Lai Ching-te to preemptively pay attention to Taiwan's defense work without waiting for him to take office show that the Taiwan side is still very worried about the mainland side taking further military action. However, whether it is continuing to promote US-Taiwan military cooperation, counting on the US military to provide more weapons support, or constantly conducting live-fire exercises, all of them have a strong provocative connotation, which will only have a negative impact on the situation in the Taiwan Strait and make cross-strait relations more and more tense.
Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that the mainland has taken countermeasures. Taiwan media reported that from 6 a.m. on April 20 to 6 a.m. on the 21st, the People's Liberation Army dispatched a total of 21 military aircraft and 7 warships to continue to operate around the Taiwan Strait. Among them, 17 flew over the so-called "median line of the strait" and its extension line, and entered the airspace of the northern, central and southwestern parts of Taiwan.
According to Taiwan media analysis, the warning implications of the Continental Army's aircraft approaching the island of Taiwan to carry out police patrol missions at such a high frequency and high density are quite strong. Although after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the patrol operations of the Continental Army aircraft in the water and air space around Taiwan Island have formed a normalized trend, the 14 sorties of fighters rarely "attacked from north to south" and approached Keelung, Kaohsiung and other places are still extremely oppressive.
You must know that this distance not only breaks through the so-called "middle line of the strait", but also touches Taiwan's so-called "airspace and territorial waters", and the PLA's strong countermeasures are almost equivalent to the mainland's reaffirmation of sovereignty and warning the DPP authorities to stop any behavior that may aggravate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Some analysts have pointed out that with Lai Ching-te, a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker," succeeding to the next leadership of the Taiwan region, the situation in the Taiwan Strait will most likely become increasingly tense; in addition, the United States, which is behind the Taiwan authorities, is also flaunting the banner of maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and not allowing the mainland to "unilaterally change the status quo" by force or other means. Now that the PLA is taking a strong countermeasure, it is to advise the DPP authorities to "pull back from the precipice."
It is worth mentioning that at the critical moment when the situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to heat up, many people of insight on the island are actively promoting cross-strait dialogue and reunification. For example, Hong Xiuzhu, former chairman of the Kuomintang, led a delegation to Shenzhen on the afternoon of 20 April and expressed his desire to "promote reunification" with concrete actions.
It has been learned that Hong Xiuzhu's visit is aimed at promoting cross-strait youth exchanges on the one hand, and easing cross-strait relations on the other. She pointed out that the visit and exchange of young people from Taiwan to the mainland is conducive to mutual understanding between the two sides of the strait, eliminating estrangement, and enhancing harmony and stability in cross-strait relations. In her view, only by taking action on the basis of reunification can we be responsible for history and the next generation, and allowing DPP politicians to promote "Taiwan independence" will only lead Taiwan into a dangerous place of war and danger.
Some analysts have pointed out that Hong Xiuzhu's choice to go to the mainland to promote reunification at this sensitive juncture is obviously to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait and to prevent Lai Qingde from taking office and causing further damage to cross-strait relations. You must know that the recent actions of the DPP authorities have touched the bottom line of the mainland, and allowing the situation to deteriorate will only increase the risk of "misfire" and make the Taiwan Strait issue more and more aggravated.