During a recently concluded SCO ( Shanghai Cooperation Organization) meeting held on 24th August, 2022 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Chinese Defense Minister virtually addressed the member participants and reiterated that, ” Taiwan is China`s Taiwan and the Taiwan issue is China`s internal Affair.”
Clearly, the Minister was referring to the recent trip to Taiwan by the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, despite warnings from China to refrain from such a visit. This interaction has infuriated the Chinese who consider such a move, provocative by the US. In response, the Chinese conducted massive military drills near the island, invoking the Taiwanese government to claim that this time, the drills were deep within Taiwanese territorial waters and a mock exercise for invasion of the island.
The Chinese Defense Minister also took the opportunity to stress and appreciate the international community/ organizations stance for recognizing that Taiwan is a breakaway province and an integral part of China. He was referring to the 170 plus countries who do not maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan or recognize its independence. He also stated that the SCO, (which comprises of India, Russia, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) is a positive platform for regional peace and harmony and President Xi Jinping`s proposed Global Security Initiative `provides a correct solution for addressing international security challenges”.
He urged the SCO member states to strengthen security cooperation with one another as the world community is currently experiencing a global crisis and facing challenges unseen before. He called for global unity and harmony and said China is ready to work with other countries to uphold global equity, justice and world peace.
In the present political situation, the SCO can be seen as a positive alliance of regional countries for promotion of peace and stability in the region. However, the US would presumably see it as another bloc created by Russia and China to counter their national interests. On the other hand, the US recently established the QUAD group, comprising of the US, India, Australia and the UK to contain China, though it seems unlikely that China can be contained.
In a world increasingly being divided into blocs/alliances, the Taiwan issue is a potential powder keg waiting to explode. Tensions are running high in the Pacific, with both superpowers rattling their swords and patience running thin. In fairness, China has legitimate rights to claim Taiwan as part of their mainland and will never give up their desire for reunification whereas the U.S is looking for an excuse to start a conflict and weaken China`s dominance in the region.
