China continues its verbal and military offensives against Taiwan. Media personality Wu Ching-yi pointed out that China is transforming the Taiwan issue from a "cross-strait military confrontation" into an "international battlefield." This includes President Lai Ching-te and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and US Secretary of War Lloyd Austin, aligning with the Indo-Pacific security strategy. However, while the mainstream Indo-Pacific security narrative is strengthening the "first island chain," KMT Chair Johnny Chiang is calling for an end to it, advocating for Taiwan to loosen its security belt. This has led to external questioning: Is this "peace for Taiwan" or "appeasing Beijing?"
Chiang embarked on a visit to the US on the 1st. Before his departure, he stated that his visit aimed to deepen cross-strait peace, that Taiwan does not wish to become the next Ukraine, and advocated for abandoning the "first island chain" mindset, transforming it into a chain of peace and prosperity, so that Taiwan is no longer a troublemaker or a pawn in great power competition.
Wu Ching-yi posted on Facebook that President Lai Ching-te emphasized at Computex that "the stability of the Taiwan Strait is the foundation of global supply chain security." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that the US policy towards Taiwan remains unchanged, with the core being the maintenance of the status quo. US Secretary of War Lloyd Austin explicitly stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue that the core of the US Pacific strategy is to "establish a deterrent posture along the first island chain." These three points form a highly consistent strategic signal: Taiwan is not just a cross-strait issue, but a critical node for global AI supply chains, the Indo-Pacific security order, and the framework for deterring China.
Wu Ching-yi stated that Beijing is expanding the Taiwan issue from "cross-strait military confrontation" into a comprehensive battlefield encompassing the East China Sea, South China Sea, the first island chain, coast guard enforcement rights, and international maritime law order. The China Coast Guard patrolled east of Taiwan, protesting Japan's and the Philippines' maritime boundary negotiations. In late May, they intruded into waters around Dongsha Island, leading to a standoff with the Taiwan Coast Guard. These are not isolated provocations but part of Beijing's continuous script to "internationalize the Taiwan Strait battlefield."
Wu Ching-yi emphasized that Taiwan's current display of robotic dogs and unmanned defense systems is a response to such "gray zone" threats. When China uses its coast guard, maritime militia, legal warfare, and gray zone tactics to pressure outlying islands and surrounding waters, Taiwan's upgrade of unmanned systems, AI sensing, offshore island surveillance, and rapid response capabilities is not provocation but a necessary deployment for deterrent deterrence. Beijing wants to use low-cost "salami-slicing" to advance gray zone pressure; Taiwan must ensure that every slice cannot be cut.
Wu Ching-yi questioned that, in contrast, KMT Chair Johnny Chiang chose to loudly call for "ending the first island chain mindset" at this time, advocating for dialogue to replace strategic defense lines. While this argument superficially appeals for peace, it is actually significantly out of sync with the mainstream Indo-Pacific security narrative being strengthened by the US and regional allies. The first island chain is not an outdated concept from the last century; it is Taiwan's most important security line at this moment. Deterrent deterrence is not provocation but a realistic condition for avoiding war. When Beijing escalates pressure, Chiang's eagerness to loosen Taiwan's security belt inevitably leads to external questioning: Is this "peace for Taiwan" or "appeasing Beijing?"
Wu Ching-yi stated at the end of her post, "When the mainstream Indo-Pacific security narrative is strengthening the first island chain, why does the KMT rush to dismantle this line itself?"
