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EDITORIAL :
Centerline breach threatens security
Since President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E) launched his re-election campaign, he has not
been able to stop bragging about how great cross-strait relations are. However,
the breach of the Taiwan Strait centerline by two Chinese fighter jets is
putting the Ma administrationˇ¦s China policy to the test.
When two Peopleˇ¦s Liberation Army Sukhoi-27 fighters crossed the centerline in
their alleged pursuit of a US U-2S high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft a few
days ago, the two Su-27s did not return to Chinese airspace until they were
intercepted by two Taiwanese F-16 aircraft.
Following media reports, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed the
incident, saying it was in ˇ§full controlˇ¨ of the situation.
In addition to the F-16s sent up to intercept the Chinese fighters, the
militaryˇ¦s missile system was put on standby, the ministry said.
The ministry classified the incident as a sudden, isolated incident and said the
Chinese fighters did not behave provocatively. Pan-blue legislators made excuses
for China, saying it would not deliberately provoke Taiwan and that there was no
need to overreact.
Although cross-strait relations currently are relatively stable, China does not
recognize Taiwanˇ¦s sovereignty and still wants to annex Taiwanese territory:
Facts that cannot be denied and facts that make China Taiwanˇ¦s potential No. 1
enemy.
If current cross-strait trade, cultural exchanges and the detente are tricking
Taiwanese officials and the military into believing that there is no tension
between China and Taiwan, while the Chinese air force treats the centerline as
an arbitrary barrier that can be crossed at will, then the Taiwan Strait will
become an undefended area, open to Chinese aircraft and ships, and Taiwanˇ¦s
national security will be all but lost.
Regardless of whether the transgression was unintentional or a deliberate
attempt to test Taiwanese response capabilities, the ministry should not treat
the incident lightly. As supreme commander of the Taiwanese armed forces, Ma
should not maintain a low profile ˇX silence at this time could be construed as
weakness or tacit approval, and then Chinese fighter jets really would be free
to fly through Taiwanese airspace at their leisure.
Since any sudden actions could lead to war, the government must not remain
silent: It must take a strong position. The ministry should stand up and tell
China to restrain itself so that similar incidents can be avoided and not
escalate into serious threats. Ma must also stand up to China at an appropriate
time. Maintaining cross-strait peace is no easy task and treating these
incidents lightly could destroy that peace.
Although current cross-strait relations are relatively peaceful, the nation must
remain proactive and keep up its psychological defenses. The military must not
let its guard down and neglect national defense. There has been no change to the
fundamental nature of cross-strait relations: China still posses an existential
threat and extreme vigilance must be maintained when it comes to national
security issues. The breach of the Taiwan Strait centerline could be a
deliberate provocation or it could be the result of a careless pilot, but the
government should request an investigation and an explanation from the Chinese
defense ministry, along with guarantees that a similar incident will not happen
again.
A simple transgression by a Chinese aircraft can reveal not only the response
capabilities of the Taiwanese air force, but even more importantly, it can also
reveal the extent of the nationˇ¦s psychological defenses. After that is exposed,
the nation will have no more cards to play.
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