Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Chinese threats against Taiwan, French diplomatic efforts in New Caledonia, and Kenya being offered non-NATO ally status.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Chinese threats against Taiwan, French diplomatic efforts in New Caledonia, and Kenya being offered non-NATO ally status.
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‘Militaristic Mentality’
Beijing launched “punishment” drills near Taiwan on Thursday in response to what it called Taipei’s “separatist acts.” The exercises come just three days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged Beijing in his inauguration speech to stop threatening the island. Dubbed Joint Sword, the military exercises include the Chinese army, navy, air force, and rocket force, and are set to run for two days, with a possibility of follow-ups. This is the first time that China has simulated a full-scale attack, Taiwanese military experts said, rather than an economic blockade.
“I need to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. “This is both a fact based on history and the true status quo. This will not change in the future. Taiwan independence is doomed to fail.”
China’s military said the mock strikes targeted “high-value military” sites of the “enemy.” Beijing does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty and has repeatedly denounced Lai for his past pro-independence comments. But Lai has softened his stance in recent years, offering talks with Beijing that China has rejected.
“I hope that China will face the reality of [Taiwan’s] existence; respect the choices of the people of Taiwan; and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation, exchange over containment, and under the principles of parity and dignity, engage in cooperation with the legal government chosen by Taiwan’s people,” Lai said during his inauguration speech on Monday.
Thursday’s drills occurred in the Taiwan Strait; near the north, east, and south of Taiwan; and around the Taipei-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin. This was the first time that China’s exercises included areas near these islands. The last time that Beijing conducted major military drills near Taiwan was last April, after then-U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The largest such exercises in recent years occurred in August 2022 in response to then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Taipei’s Defense Ministry condemned Beijing’s actions, saying they not only fail to contribute to regional “peace and stability” but also highlight China’s “militaristic mentality.” “We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one,” the ministry said. “We have the confidence to safeguard our national security.” Taiwan placed missile, naval, and land units on alert in response.
Chinese state-run broadcaster CCTV said Thursday’s countermeasures to Lai’s presidential address were “legitimate, legal, and necessary.” Beijing views Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as separatists and cut off all communication with Taipei in 2016 when Tsai, then the DPP leader, took office. This week, the China-leaning opposition Kuomintang party is pursuing legislation that critics say could undermine Lai’s governing ability. Mass protests have erupted in the capital in response. Some analysts have predicted that China could be prepared to invade Taiwan as soon as 2027.
Today’s Most Read
What We’re Following
Voter reform. During a visit to the French Pacific island territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he wouldn’t force the passage of a controversial voting reform bill. Instead, he said he wants local leaders to come up with an alternate political agreement. The proposed legislation would have allowed French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to vote in elections. Opponents argue that this could dilute the Indigenous Kanak people’s electoral influence, especially if they seek independence from France in the future.
Deadly riots have erupted across the island in protest against the bill, killing at least six people. Macron said French security forces will remain in New Caledonia “as long as necessary” to help quell the unrest. On Thursday, Macron also promised to lift a state of emergency on the territory, first imposed last week, if demonstrators remove their barricades. Hundreds of tourists and foreign nationals have already evacuated the island, and the nickel industry—of which New Caledonia possesses 25 percent of the world’s resources—has recorded a sharp spike in prices since the violence began.
Washington’s new ally. U.S. President Joe Biden announced his intention on Thursday to give Kenya non-NATO ally status. This is the first time that a sub-Saharan African nation would receive the largely symbolic title. Nairobi would join 18 other nations with the designation, including Israel, Qatar, and the Philippines.
The label allows Kenya to receive more sophisticated weaponry from the United States and engage in closer security cooperation. It also heightens Washington’s influence in East Africa at a time when both Russia and China are vying for power there.
The announcement is part of Kenyan President William Ruto’s three-day state visit to Washington, which began on Wednesday. The diplomatic mission marks 60 years of bilateral ties and signals Nairobi’s elevation to a strategic partner for its joint counterterrorism efforts with the United States against extremist groups in the region, including al-Shabab. This is the first state visit to the United States for an African leader since 2008.
Denied emergency orders. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected proposed emergency measures on Thursday ordering Ecuador to take “appropriate and immediate steps to provide” the Mexican Embassy in Quito with “full protection and security.” ICJ President Nawaf Salam argued that “there is at present no urgency” for the measures. The ruling is part of a larger case, expected to take years, in which Mexico has accused Ecuador of violating its sovereignty.
Mexico City filed the complaint in April after Ecuadorian forces raided the Mexican Embassy to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who was seeking political asylum there. Glas stands accused of mismanaging funds earmarked for earthquake reconstruction efforts. Mexico has asked the ICJ to force Quito to issue an apology or else be suspended from the United Nations. Ecuador has since filed a counter lawsuit, arguing that Mexico intervened in domestic affairs by granting Glas asylum.
Odds and Ends
Man’s best friend just got upgraded to first class. The first flight of BARK Air, an airline just for pups and their humans, took off on Thursday from New York City to Los Angeles, with tickets costing $6,000 per duo. Instead of having to travel in a cramped under-seat carrier or in a plane’s cargo hold, dogs on BARK Air can travel in the cabin and are not required to be in a carrier. The airline also plans to provide flights from New York City to London for $8,000. In-flight services for pets include treats, emergency pads to relieve themselves, and the ability to socialize with one another during the flight. Human companions will thankfully receive noise-canceling headphones.
The post China Kicks Off ‘Punishment’ Military Drills Near Taiwan appeared first on Foreign Policy.
