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TAIPEI, Taiwan — The presence of a bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States in the Republic of China has not gone over well with the Chinese Communist Party-government of mainland China just more than 100 miles away from the self-governing island's vibrant democracy.
On Monday, as the delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) met with newly inaugurated President Lai and other government leaders, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent 21 aircraft and 15 vessels in the latest move harassing Taiwan.
21 PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN vessels, and 4 CCG vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/iHvg4LUTft
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) May 27, 2024
Notably, CCP officials threatened that a Taiwan visit by a U.S. congressional delegation would lead to “consequences” that “must be borne by the US” days before McCaul’s delegation and U.S. press (including Townhall) touched down in Taipei.
The recent CCP stunts targeting Taiwan have been based on the recent inauguration of the R.O.C’s President Lai and the U.S. delegation’s visit. Still, the military drills and shows of force also benefit the Xi regime by drawing attention to the Taiwan Strait — and away from the CCP’s malign activity in the South China Sea and elsewhere around the world.
In addition to military activity in Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, pro-CCP disinformation mouthpieces ramped up a propaganda effort aimed at mischaracterizing the delegation's visit to sow chaos in an attempt to distract from Beijing's actions — the truly destabilizing moves — and further undermine the United States in the region.
Before and during this week's visit to the R.O.C., the U.S. delegation and Taiwanese leaders have repeatedly stated their commitment to maintaining the status quo, abiding by the Taiwan Relations Act, and preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait.
As an example of this pro-CCP propaganda, the self-appointed "Dragon of the east" had this to say about McCaul's delegation and the U.S. position — none of which is accurate.
Mainland China's military exercises on Taiwan Island have just ended. The person the United States sent to Taiwan this time is not a former official, but a current heavyweight congressman. Michael McCaul has a strong anti-China stance and has long been sanctioned by China! It has… pic.twitter.com/T8Bjzs7rav
— Dragon of the east (@htchpros) May 26, 2024
It is, in fact, the CCP that has taken actions seeking to punish Taiwan for its vibrant democracy and the freedom and prosperity that come along with it. That point has been repeatedly emphasized by McCaul and his delegation, as well as Taiwanese leaders.
You could call it a clash between this “Dragon of the east” — representing the CCP and its destabilizing actions — and the Cowboy of the West — as Texas Rep. McCaul leads his delegation regardless of warnings from the CCP and increased harassment ahead of and during this week’s visit. Fitting, then, that McCaul presented President Lai with a cowboy hat as a gift in their closed-door meeting.
Ahead of his talks with President Lai on Monday, McCaul said that "all democracies must stand together against aggression and tyranny — whether it's Putin in Russia, the Ayatollah in Iran, or Chairman Xi next door to us in China — an unholy alliance is eroding peace around the world."
"Not since WWII, my father's war, have we seen such blatant violence and naked aggression," emphasized McCaul.
Before Monday's harassment from Chinese planes and vessels, the PLA launched two days' worth of drills that saw the CCP’s military completely surround Taiwan in an attempt to intimidate the Republic of China and its partners.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the PRC’s exercises escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait and urged China to “exercise self-restraint and stop any actions that undermine peace and stability.”
“China, despite continuous and strong international concern over development in the Taiwan Strait, has repeatedly threatened Taiwan’s democracy and unilaterally disrupted the cross-strait status quo and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week in a statement reiterating Taiwan “will continue to firmly uphold democracy.”
"This commitment will not change as a result of any coercion or suppression," the statement pledged. "Taiwan is a bastion for global democracy and freedom," and "will continue to strengthen cooperative ties with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, uphold the rules-based international order, protect the cross-strait status quo, and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
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