Taiwan Warns China Likely to Increase Pressure on New Government

(Bloomberg) -- China is likely to increase its campaign of pressure on Taiwan both before and after the island’s handover of power to a new government in May, a senior national security official in Taipei warned Monday.

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Taiwan expects China to continue its “push and pull” tactics in the coming months, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen told lawmakers in Taipei. He warned Beijing is likely to maintain its military and political intimidation against the government in Taipei while also offering economic incentives to those who help further its goal of unifying with the island.

The Chinese tactics are likely to intensify in the weeks leading up to the May 20 inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and may continue afterward, the national security official said. Lai will succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, who is also of the DPP, following a January election which saw China-friendly presidential candidates defeated.

Taiwan’s intelligence agencies have also noted China’s moves to normalize military drills near Taiwan, running joint combat readiness patrols every seven-to-10 days on average.

“This trend of normalizing these patrols is related to Taiwan’s exchanges with foreign countries,” the NSB’s Tsai said Monday. “We found that whenever other countries pass resolutions friendly to Taiwan, or foreign vessels pass through the Taiwan Strait, or when foreign dignitaries visit Taiwan, China will coordinate their existing regular patrols to coincide with these diplomatic events.”

China views Taiwan as part of its territory, a claim the government in Taipei rejects, asserting the island is already a de facto independent nation.

While noting that China poses an increasingly strong threat to Taiwan, intelligence indicates a war with the giant neighbor across the strait is not imminent, Tsai said.

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