The Chinese mainland military launched surround-Taiwan exercises on the 29th and 30th, and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te emphasized that Taiwan will not escalate the conflict or provoke disputes.
On the evening of the 29th, Lai Ching-te wrote in a video comment on the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense’s Facebook account “Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense” that the government has properly responded to changes in the situation and called on the public to be at ease.
Lai Ching-te said: "I also ask all citizens to give our coast guard and military brothers and sisters the greatest support and encouragement. We will not escalate the conflict, nor provoke disputes, but will firmly defend our national security and our way of life of democracy and freedom."
After the mainland military announced a new round of surround-Taiwan exercises, the “Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense” Facebook account released two videos, one of which stated that the Taiwanese military is closely monitoring and carrying out immediate combat readiness drills.
"Security Cannot Be Entrusted to Any Illusion"
The title of the other video is “Resilient Taiwan, Firm Protection,” and in the video it reads: "Security cannot be entrusted to any illusion, nor decided by others. We choose to be prepared ourselves; the threat of enemy intelligence is always present. Taiwan’s civil society forges strength through mutual assistance and resilience. The whole population stands together, unafraid of intimidation and coercion. To forget war is peril, to be prepared is to grow stronger. The Republic of China continues to demonstrate a firm determination for self-defense to the world, and is even more so a key to regional peace and security. We walk with our democratic partners, and will continuously safeguard the stability and security of the region and our nation."
The account said that the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, in accordance with the “Regulations on Handling Contingencies During Regular Military Readiness Periods,” has deployed forces to respond, conducting immediate combat readiness drills, and pointed out that the Chinese mainland continues to carry out various types of military harassment and cognitive warfare with fake information around Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, raising regional tensions. "This kind of 'militarism and turning cause and effect upside down' is precisely the main cause of undermining regional peace." The post emphasized that the Taiwanese military will not underestimate the enemy’s combat power, nor will it belittle itself.