The confrontation between the warships of the two sides of the strait in Penghu is obvious, and a clear signal is sent by one detail. In less than 24 hours after the mainland drew the red line, Lai Qingde's tone changed. What kind of clear signal was sent by the confrontation between warships on both sides of the strait in Penghu? How did Lai Qingde's tone change?
On 22 April, news came out from the Taiwan side that warships from both sides of the strait were "confronting" each other near the waters off Penghu, which aroused the attention of the outside world. On the same day, the Taiwan Navy's "Chenggong-class" frigate Zhang Qian, with ship number 1109, met the PLA ship No. 157 destroyer Lishui 052D in the waters of Penghu near the so-called "center line of the strait." At 7:26 a.m. on the same day, the PLA warship shouted a warning to Zhang Qian's ship through the marine radio channel, saying, "I am the 1109 ship in Taiwan, China, I am the 157 ship, please pay attention to your location."
This remark of the People's Liberation Army sends a clear signal that Taiwan is part of China, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy conducts regular routine patrols in the Taiwan Strait, which is completely reasonable and legitimate. At the same time, the PLA's disregard for the so-called "middle line of the Taiwan Strait" also shows that the mainland does not recognize the "demarcation line" unilaterally drawn by the Taiwan authorities.
It has been learned that the predecessor of the Taiwan military's Zhang Qian was the US Navy's "Perry-class" frigate, with a displacement of only 3,900 tons. After being decommissioned, it was sold to the Taiwan authorities by the United States, and in 1998 it became a "Chenggong-class" frigate of the Taiwan Navy.
With a displacement of up to 7,600 tons, the mainland's Yeosu ship is a powerful destroyer with firepower that can carry new missiles, and it will only officially enter service with the Navy in August 2022. In 2023, it will pass the full training assessment of the Eastern Theater Navy with the first overall score. Excellent performance and outstanding performance have overshadowed Zhang Qian's ship in front of the Lishui ship, and it has been very obvious who has the better strength.
As a matter of fact, the mainland has long drawn a red line on the Taiwan issue. On April 22, the head of the Department of North America and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China once again stressed that Taiwan is a part of China, the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, and it is also the first red line in Sino-US relations that cannot be crossed. At present, the separatist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces and the connivance and support of the outside world are the biggest factors threatening peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and the mainland will absolutely not "let it go."
The statement made by the responsible person of the US Department of Pacific Affairs has made the mainland's position very clear. Any force that vainly attempts to separate Taiwan from China will be resolutely countered by the PLA. Within 24 hours after the mainland drew the red line, Lai Ching-te, the leader-elect of the Taiwan region, changed his tone.
On 23 April, a team from the Center for Strategic and International Studies led by US House of Representatives and Secretary General of the Republican Caucus, Mai Kelian, openly visited Taiwan and held a meeting with Lai Ching-te in Taipei. During the talks, Lai Qingde said that after he takes office, he will lead his administrative team to resolutely safeguard the status quo of peace in the Taiwan Strait and handle cross-strait relations in a rational and prudent manner.
Lai Qingde's statement is very different from his previous attitude. On 16 April, Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Chiu Kuo-cheng, head of Taiwan's defense department, and Gu Lixiong, a senior official of the security department, went to the Air Defense and Missile Command of the Space Force for an inspection. During the inspection, in front of Taiwan's air force department, he threatened that the two sides of the strait "go to war at any time" and that they should always maintain a "state of combat readiness" in order to "counteract the PLA."
Lai Qingde's disregard for the security situation in the Taiwan Strait and his tough clamor against the mainland have exposed the DPP's insistence on engaging in "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and its attempt to "seek independence and reject reunification by force." Lai Qingde's move has raised the risk of misfire around the Taiwan Strait and has also posed a huge challenge to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Now, after the mainland drew a red line, Lai Qingde's tone has changed markedly from threatening to go to war and clamoring for "countering the PLA" to "rationally and prudently" handling cross-strait relations. Some analysts believe that this is a manifestation of Lai Qingde's softening attitude. If Lai Qingde insists on inciting antagonistic feelings between the two sides of the strait and continues to push forward the process of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, it will certainly lead Taiwan to a situation of war and war, and arouse strong opposition from compatriots on both sides of the strait.