| The following is the first of a series of columns written by Paul Jackson of the Calgary Sun while he was in Taipei. This column was run on June 5, 2001. EXERCISING INTIMIDATION By Paul Jackson TAIPEI, TAIWAN � President Chen Shui-bian�s government is urging residents to stay calm as Communist China prepares to conduct its biggest military exercise in decades. Codenamed �Liberation Number One� the exercise � which could be launched at any moment � will involve tens of thousands of members of the People�s Liberation Army (PLA) in an assault on a mock Taiwanese island and a Taiwanese aircraft carrier. A guided missile brigade, two tank brigades, submarines, jet-fighters and bombers will take part in the assault, using Beijing�s Dongshan Island as a stand-in for a Taiwanese island. The U.S. is sending a warship into the area, partly to reassure the Taiwanese people it is still committed to their freedom, and also to caution President Jiang Zemin�s government in Beijing against any foolhardy actions. Communist state-controlled Xinhua News Agency said yesterday the mammoth exercises are intended as a �warning� to Taiwan�s leaders not to �play with fire.� Beijing is furious with the Taiwanese government because of several incidents. Chen has rejected Beijing�s plan for a �One China, two systems� amalgamation of the two nations, saying it would simply allow Communist China to swallow up the democratic state. He has angered Beijing by taunting its leaders that they do not have the �courage� to have open and honest talks about unifying the two nations. Chen�s visit to the U.S. and his reception there by U.S. politicians has infuriated Beijing further. So has President George W. Bush�s approval of a major arms sale to Taiwan, and his commitment to stand by Taiwan�s side to preserve its freedom. The forthcoming military exercises involving Dongshan Island, about 150 nautical miles east of Taiwan�s Penghu Island, is reminiscent of the 1996 crisis when Beijing carried out missile firings in the Taiwan Straits. The PLA is the largest army in the world, with 2.5 million soldiers, sailors and airmen. Taiwan has less than 500,000 members in its armed forces � but they are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including French and American jet-fighters, helicopter gunships, tanks, missile frigates, other warships, submarines, and ultra-sophisticated radar and surveillance systems. Whenever Communist China launches military exercises in the Taiwan Straits, the stock market gets the jitters and another wave of residents reportedly cashes in their possessions and leaves the island. Yesterday, Taiwan�s defence office urged residents not to �panic� and said Communist China routinely holds exercises at this time of the year because of the mild weather. �The exercises are not aimed at Taiwan,� the spokesman said soothingly, but added, �we will nevertheless watch developments closely.� Another government official, however, said he was �not clear about the goal of the drill.� Taiwan has repeatedly pleaded with Beijing to promise publicly it will never use force to unite Taiwan with the Communist mainland. Beijing has refused to make that commitment. Back to the home page. |