China's government officials warn countries providing military support to Taiwan that they will face "the worst consequences" a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping had a diplomatic discussion with Australia that aims to mend international ties.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton declared that Australia with taking all necessary steps to stop China's aggression towards Taiwan. However, China's Ministry of National Defense in response blasted Dutton's statement, saying that "no one and no force" could stop Beijing from seizing the independent island country according to a Sky News Australia report.
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the distance, China's relations with Taiwan draw attention, with the island upgrading its defense capabilities since the war began in preparation for mainland attack.Taiwan's defense ministry earlier announced its plan to increase its annual missile-production capacity this 2022, following the approval of an extra $8.6 billion for military budget for the next five years.
Gets More Aggressive as Russian-Ukraine War Continues
Taiwan is not recognized as a sovereign country by Beijing, but rather a breakaway province that can be taken back into China by force if required, as per Fox News.
Late last year, China took a more hostile attitude against the Democratic Nation of Taiwan, sending a record number of fighter jets into Taiwan's air defense zone.
In February, nine Chinese aircraft breached Taiwan's air defense zone as Russian tanks advanced into Ukraine, triggering a public warning from the island nation.Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, observers are seeing equivalents in the situation between Beijing and Taipei.
The New York Times reported that the slogan "Today, Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan!" had trended online when the war in Eastern Europe started.
Taiwan's recent concerns in the aftermath of Moscow's war in Ukraine were met with skepticism by the Communist Party, which suggested that Taiwan's overblown rhetoric was intended to make Beijing appear hostile.
Taiwan's President has recently paid a visit to army reservists undergoing training as part of a new program to improve war preparation.
The program was prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which parallels China's hostility toward the island.
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US' Solid Support for Taiwan
Last month, as per a Al Jazeera report, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met President Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan. His visit shows the bipartisan "rock-solid" US support for Taiwan and the close Taiwan-US friendship, it added.
Pompeo's visit was followed by a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden's delegation of former senior defense and security officials to Taiwan, as a sign of support.
The visit, headed by former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, comes as Taiwan has increased its alert level, due to concerns of China exploiting a distracted West to increase aggression towards the island country.
According to the report by Reuters, Mullen, a retired Navy admiral who served as the top U.S. military officer under former US presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, will be accompanied by Meghan O'Sullivan, a former deputy national security advisor during Bush administration, and Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense during the Obama administration.
