Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told a US audience on Wednesday of China’s “sustained” pressure in the form of activities like military patrols that stop short of open conflict but are aimed at altering the security environment.
Tsai is making her first trip to the United States since leaving office two years ago, for a speech at a defence forum at Stanford University. Washington is Taipei’s most important international backer, despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties.
Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has to deal with a “particularly immediate” security challenge, she said, according to a transcript of the speech provided by her office.
“We face daily cyberattacks, cognitive warfare, information manipulation, economic coercion, and attempts to compromise our critical infrastructure,” Tsai said.
“Chinese military aircraft and vessels also operate around Taiwan on a regular basis, while coast guard and other activities have become increasingly common around our waters.”
Such “grey zone” activity is intended to impose costs, test Taiwan’s responses and gradually alter the security environment around Taiwan, while avoiding the consequences of an open confrontation, she added.
