Wu Zhaoxie, a die-hard "Taiwan independence" secessionist, recently posted a map on social media, claiming that more than 100 Chinese mainland naval and coast guard vessels had been deployed across the western Pacific.
Various forces quickly jumped on the bandwagon, spinning what is essentially routine and lawful military activity into some mysterious, undeclared military exercise. The aim is clear: to stoke fear and manufacture a sense of crisis.
But there is really nothing mysterious about what's happening. Routine naval patrols and coast guard operations carried out in accordance with the law are legitimate exercises of China's sovereign rights. When and how the PLA conducts military exercises is entirely its own business. It owes no one advance notice.
Instead of obsessing over maps and speculating about what comes next, the DPP authorities should face reality: the PLA remains firmly committed to opposing "Taiwan independence" and advancing national reunification.
Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by relying on foreign forces or military means will be met with severe punishment and is ultimately doomed to fail. China's reunification is the final answer. There is nothing left to guess.
