《TAIPEI TIMES》 Chinese suppression continues: NSB

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE: While Beijing aggressively pushes plans to assimilate Taiwan, its threats have only bolstered international support for the nation, the bureau said

By Chen Yu-fu / Staff reporter

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China is bolstering ties with Russia in its strategic competition with the US while continuing to suppress Taiwan’s international space, a National Security Bureau （NSB） report said.

The report assesses the military and diplomatic cooperation between Taiwan and the US and its impact on national security.

Beijing is actively seeking diplomatic engagements after holding its Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s （CPPCC） National Committee meeting and National People’s Congress earlier last month, inviting leaders from Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia to visit China, and promoting communication with Japan and South Korea, the report said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping （習近平） visited Russia from March 20 to March 22, issuing two joint statements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and signing 14 cooperation agreements, it said.

The interaction raised concerns in Europe about Beijing’s influence on Russia’s war in Ukraine, it said.

The Boao Forum for Asia, which Beijing held last week, focused on promoting a positive image of China before about 2,000 representatives from more than 50 countries, but fewer world leaders attended this year, the report said.

In the Middle East, China took advantage of warming relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia to push for the restoration of their diplomatic relations, but whether it can help resolve the differences between the two sides remains to be seen, it said.

Regarding Taiwan-US relations, the report said Washington maintains that peace across the Taiwan Strait is in line with its long-term interests and beneficial for regional and global development.

The US promised greater assistance in reinforcing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, it said, adding that senior US military officials have said that the US Army is prepared to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese military invasion.

The US has demonstrated its stance on maintaining cross-strait peace and stability by sending warships to sail through the Taiwan Strait since 2020, it says.

It is taking concrete actions to counter China’s ambition to unilaterally change the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait, it says, citing the US’ plan to build four new military sites in the northern Philippines and to deploy marine units in Japan’s Okinawa by 2025.

The threats from China, including frequent incursions into Taiwan’s waters and airspace, along with economic coercion, have bolstered international support for Taiwan, it says.

Aside from its military intimidation of Taiwan, China’s appointment of new officials after the CPPCC meeting and National People’s Congress show its determination to push its plan to assimilate Taiwan, it added.

The bureau will continue to keep abreast of changes in the region and improve early warning and intelligence-gathering capabilities to assist the government in decisionmaking and emergency preparations, it says.

The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the bureau are to present the report to the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee on Thursday.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES