A few days ago, the People's Liberation Army designated a restricted area in the South China Sea to conduct military exercises. The Taiwan military also "coincidentally" conducted live-fire training near Taiping Island in the Nansha Islands, not far from the People's Liberation Army exercise site. They wanted to take the opportunity to "attack the mainland" Demonstration" was unexpectedly condemned by both countries.
First, The Philippines condemned the Taiwan military's military exercises here as "illegal behavior" . Then, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a voice asking Taiwan to stop such wrong actions , pointing out that this move has seriously threatened the security of the South China Sea. Peace and stability have complicated the regional situation. It is worth mentioning that just the day before, Taiwanese media also broke the news that a fishing boat was seized by the Indonesian military while passing through the Malacca Strait, and 22 of its crew members are still detained in Indonesia.
Whether it is intentional or coincidental, the recent intensive "attacks" by the three major Southeast Asian countries on the Taiwan authorities have inevitably aroused the imagination of the outside world. But this is actually just to protect their own interests , and there is no direct connection with the Taiwan issue in nature. connect.
There are many countries in the South China Sea and there are many related territorial disputes. It can only be said that the DPP authorities happened to hit the "muzzle" this time. Vietnam and the Philippines have unanimously condemned Taiwan. This does not mean that they are showing favor to mainland China. On the contrary, it also means criticizing China. It cannot be ruled out that they are deliberately using this to put pressure on us.
In the past, Vietnam and the Philippines occupied many of China's islands and reefs and illegally built many military facilities on them. Until now, we still have occasional frictions with the Philippines and other countries in the maritime field. But now, China advocates resolving differences through consultation and dialogue. At the same time, our call has been echoed by many countries in the South China Sea.
At the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Talks held a few days ago, 10 the defense ministers issued a joint statement, unanimously agreeing to implement the "South China Sea Code of Conduct" as soon as possible. This shows that promoting the overall stability of the situation in the South China Sea is the common aspiration of all countries in the region, but the insistent actions of individual countries will not help the situation develop in the direction of easing.
Therefore, no matter what the purpose of Vietnam and the Philippines is, they need to grasp the key points of putting the overall situation first, otherwise they may be the ones who are "isolated" in the end, because Only when the South China Sea is calm can the interests of all countries in the region be ensured. Maximize .
When it comes to the Taiwan issue, Southeast Asian countries are also well aware of its sensitivity, so their leaders and politicians generally avoid publicly expressing opinions on the matter. This is not only due to the attitude of mainland China, but also due to pressure from the United States. .
However, one thing that is certain is that due to the influence of geographical factors, if changes occur in the Taiwan Strait in the future, Southeast Asian countries are also worried that their security will inevitably be affected. However, it needs to be emphasized that this threat does not come from mainland China, but from the United States. If the United States wants to intervene in the Taiwan Strait, it will most likely consider putting pressure on Southeast Asian countries to seek help.
Therefore, Southeast Asian countries are neither willing to choose sides between the two major powers China and the United States, nor are they willing to see the situation in the Taiwan Strait develop in an increasingly tense direction. Therefore, in the context of the escalating situation caused by collusion and provocations between the United States and Taiwan, some Southeast Asian countries have rarely spoken out on this matter.
Singapore Defense Minister Huang Yonghong once warned that the Taiwan issue is a "deep red line" for mainland China, and the United States should stay away. Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo also emphasized that all countries should respect China's national interests and respect China's desire to achieve national rejuvenation.
The reason why he made this statement is not only for the Taiwan Strait, because if there is a major change in the regional situation, the security of Southeast Asian countries will face severe challenges. This is also the case for Indonesia and other countries. Strongly opposed to the reason why the United States and Britain promised to help Australia build the nuclear submarine .
Southeast Asian countries are now focusing on the two major aspects of anti-epidemic and economic aspects, and do not want to be involved in the whirlpool of great power competition . Therefore, they are actually very disgusted with the United States' unilateral provocation of regional military competition and intensification of regional conflicts. .
This is the scene where the United States and Japan performed a one-man show at the previous Shangri-La Dialogue, and Southeast Asian countries ignored it. This is not to say that the United States’ coercion, inducement, and soft and hard tactics no longer work, but that China’s continuous development of strength has allowed some countries that covet Chinese territory to gradually recognize the reality.
In short, strength is the basis for safeguarding justice, and national defense is the real backing of diplomacy. Strengthening one's own national defense modernization and developing nuclear forces that meet national security needs are always powerful means to safeguard national security and interests.
Only if its own strength is strong enough, external provocative forces will carefully weigh the costs before playing with fire. Therefore, in the current complex situation, we must recognize the reality clearly and firmly grasp the initiative.
