TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democracies must unite to deter China and prevent rising pressure on Taiwan from escalating into a wider conflict, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
In an op-ed published Wednesday by The Washington Times, Wu said international support strengthens deterrence by showing Beijing that Taiwan is not isolated. He compared the current situation with Europe in 1938, saying appeasement failed to prevent war and instead encouraged further aggression.
China typically keeps five to six naval vessels and two to three coast guard ships near Taiwan each day, Wu wrote. Chinese forces also conduct combat-readiness patrols near Taiwan almost every week, while aircraft and ships practice coordinated attacks.
Beijing increases the pressure several times a year by holding larger military exercises, Wu said. These drills can involve up to 100 aircraft and about three dozen warships.
During exercises in December, China fired 27 long-range rockets into waters north and south of Taiwan, Wu wrote. Some landed within Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone, which extends about 44 kilometers from the coast.
The pressure extends beyond Taiwan. The Philippines faces dozens of Chinese military and coast guard vessels in the South China Sea, while Japan faces frequent Chinese military activity near its airspace and surrounding waters.
Wu said China appears to be preparing its forces for coordinated operations involving Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. Chinese naval deployments in the Western Pacific also appear intended to restrict possible US military access to the region, he added.
China combines military pressure with disinformation questioning Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa and Philippine sovereignty over Batan Island, Wu said. He described the claims as attempts to weaken public confidence and create grounds for future territorial demands.
Beijing has also gradually challenged regional boundaries through a series of separate actions, Wu wrote. He cited China’s East China Sea air defense identification zone, new aviation routes near Taiwan, rejection of the Taiwan Strait median line, and increased coast guard activity around Kinmen and Matsu.
Wu compared Beijing’s methods with Russia’s actions before and during its invasion of Ukraine. He said both governments use repeated pressure to create new realities and then blame the targeted country for causing tensions.
China and Russia are also increasing military coordination in the Western Pacific, Wu wrote. Russian naval vessels regularly appear near Taiwan during major Chinese military exercises.
Pressure on Taiwan affects every country that depends on international law and stable borders, Wu said. When coercion succeeds without consequences, other governments may become more willing to use force or intimidation.
Democratic countries should deepen security cooperation, reduce dangerous economic dependence, and build stronger supply chains, Wu said. Recognizing threats early could prevent a future crisis from becoming more difficult and costly to stop, he added.
