The warning, delivered by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, underscores growing global concern over rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Switzerland has issued a rare warning to China, urging restraint following Beijing’s recent live-fire military drills near Taiwan. The warning, delivered by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, underscores growing global concern over rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan News reported.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted unannounced military exercises in February off Taiwan’s southern coast, including waters near Kaohsiung and Pingtung, as well as the Tasman Sea off Australia’s east coast. These drills, seen as a provocation, triggered protests from Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. Switzerland, a traditionally neutral nation, has now joined the chorus of concern over Beijing’s military actions.
Jean-Luc Addor, a Swiss Federal Assembly member and co-chair of the Switzerland-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, raised the issue in parliament, questioning Switzerland’s stance on China’s manoeuvres. Addor criticised Beijing for violating international norms and creating instability in a region critical to Switzerland’s economic and security interests.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted unannounced military exercises in February off Taiwan’s southern coast, including waters near Kaohsiung and Pingtung, as well as the Tasman Sea off Australia’s east coast. In response, Cassis addressed the Federal Assembly on March 11, expressing Switzerland’s deep concern over the increasing risks in the Taiwan Strait. On March 13, he reiterated Switzerland’s position, warning that escalating tensions in the region could have far-reaching consequences. He reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to promoting peace and dialogue in East Asia and the South China Sea.
Swiss foreign policy experts view this move as highly significant, given Switzerland’s traditional neutrality. The public warning to China signals a broader recognition of the Taiwan Strait’s strategic importance and the potential global impact of any conflict in the region.
As China continues its military posturing, Switzerland’s intervention adds to the growing international pressure for stability and diplomatic engagement in the region.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the United States Department of State heavily criticised China’s recent military exercises near Taiwan, calling them as “brazen and irresponsible threats,” while reaffirming the United States’ long-standing support for Taipei (capital city), as reported by Taipei Times.
The spokesperson said, “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan.”
According to Taipei Times, the official emphasized that Washington’s long-standing commitment to Taiwan would persist as it has for 45 years, and the US “will keep supporting Taiwan in response to China’s military, economic, informational, and diplomatic pressure.”
“Together with our international partners, we strongly advocate for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose any efforts to alter the status quo through force or coercion,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also stated that the US military was keeping track of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) movements around Taiwan, but provided no further details, as reported by Taipei Times.
According to Taiwan’s military, on Monday, the PLA deployed over two dozen military aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and sent dozens more into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, coordinating with Chinese naval vessels.
Taipei Times reported that China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Chen Binhua, stated that the drills on Monday were a “just and necessary” action to protect national sovereignty and maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.
He added that the drills were also a response to actions by “Taiwan’s leader” who is spreading “separatist ideas promoting ‘Taiwan independence'” and escalating tensions and confrontation across the Strait, referring to President William Lai, Taipei Times reported.
In October, during last year’s “Joint Sword 2024B” military exercises around Taiwan, the State Department expressed “serious concern” over the PLA’s drills in the Taiwan Strait and near Taiwan, calling them “unjustified” and warning that they could lead to further escalation.
