VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned on Monday the island has to be on alert this year for a "sudden entry" by the Chinese military into areas close to its territory amid rising military tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including almost daily air force incursions into the island's air defence identification zone.

However, Taiwan has not reported any incident of Chinese forces entering its contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles (44.4 km) from its coast. But it has shot down a civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast last year.

Answering questions from lawmakers in parliament, Chiu said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) might find excuses to enter areas close to Taiwan's territorial air and sea space as the island steps up its military exchanges with the United States, to Beijing's ire.

He said the PLA might make a "sudden entry" into Taiwan's contiguous zone and get close to its territorial space, which the island defines as 12 nautical miles from its coast.

"(I) specifically make these comments this year, meaning they are making such preparations," Chiu said. "Looking forward, they would use force if they really have to."

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing that Beijing "will take firm measures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Taiwan has vowed to exercise its right to self-defence and counter-attack if Chinese armed forces entered its territory.

China last year staged unprecedented military exercises around Taiwan in reaction to a visit to the island by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Chiu said China was looking to "make trouble under a certain pretext", adding that might include visits to the island made by senior foreign government officials or Taiwan's frequent military contacts with other countries.

Asked by a lawmaker if the United States was planning to store some of its military equipment in Taiwan, Chiu said such discussions were ongoing but declined to elaborate.

The United States is Taiwan's most important international arms supplier and increasing U.S. support for the democratic island has added to tension in already strained U.S.-Sino relations.

Chiu said the PLA sends about 10 planes or ships to areas near Taiwan a day. Some cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which has traditionally served as an unofficial buffer, on an almost daily basis, he said.

Chiu said since China has abandoned a tacit agreement on military movements in the Strait, Taiwan has made preparations to "fire the first shot" if Chinese entities, including drones or balloons, enter its territorial space.

China claims self-governed Taiwan as its own and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control, if needed. Taiwan strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only its people can decide their future. (Reuters)

The United states deployed a B-52 bomber for a joint drill with its ally South Korea on Monday, in a show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, South Korea's defence ministry said.

B-52 bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The air drill came ahead of combined large-scale exercises including amphibious landings starting later this month.

North Korea has traditionally called for those joint exercises to be called off, branding them as a prelude to invasion.

They have in the past drawn sharp reactions from Pyongyang including missile tests and nuclear threats, and North Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday demanded an immediate halt to U.S. - South Korea combined military drills, saying they were raising tensions.

With denuclearisation talks stalled, North Korea conducted a record number of missile launches last year. As South Korea has lifted anti-COVID measures, the allies are returning to large-scale drills.

South Korea and the United States will achieve "peace through strength" by stepping up joint drills, the ministry in Seoul said in a statement. (Reuters)

The Philippines inched closer to rewriting its constitution, a step that supporters said is aimed at easing investment restrictions, amid fears the move could pave the way for removal of public office term limits, including for the president.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said on Monday the lower house, voting 301-6, approved a resolution calling for a constitutional convention, whose members will be elected by the public, that will draft the changes to the 1987 charter.

Romualdez, a cousin of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, said in a statement that changes to the constitution would be limited to "restrictive" provisions that make it difficult for foreign businesses to invest in the Philippines.

He did not specify which provisions but foreign chambers of commerce have been pushing for changes to lift current limits to foreign investment, including the so-called 60-40 rule, which caps foreign ownership of local firms at 40 percent.

"We need additional investments that would create more jobs and income opportunities for people," Romualdez said.

But opposition lawmakers have questioned the need for the amendments and raised suspicions over the motivations behind them.

Edcel Lagman, one of the six who voted against the move, feared the entire charter, including provisions on term limits, would be opened up to revisions "which could be the furtive agenda" for calling for charter change.

The 1987 constitution limits Marcos to a single six-year term. The restriction was born of the country's experience of martial law under his namesake father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the country for more than two decades.

Marcos said last month changing the constitution was not on his list of priorities. He said the country could entice investments without revising the charter. (Reuters)

The head of a small Taiwanese political party will next month become the first contender for 2024's presidential election to visit the United States, to brief officials on his policies should he win office, though that may be a long shot.

Taiwanese presidential candidates traditionally go to the United States before elections given Washington's oversized role in backing Taiwan internationally and ensuring its security in the face of China's military threats to the island Beijing views as "sacred" Chinese territory.

The Taiwan People's Party (TPP), only founded in 2019, said on Monday its Chairman Ko Wen-je would make a 21-day trip to the United States beginning on April 8 in his capacity as the party's presidential nominee, though he has yet to formally be declared its candidate.

Ko, who served two terms as Taipei mayor until stepping down last year because of term limits, will meet State Department officials - the party declined to say who - and speak at universities included Harvard.

"We want to use this opportunity to exchange views with the U.S. side, about Chairman Ko's views on diplomacy or relations with China going forward," party Secretary General Tom Chou told reporters in Taipei.

The party has positioned itself as seeking a middle way between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which strongly supports Taiwan's sovereignty, and the main opposition party the Kuomintang, or KMT, which traditionally favours close ties with China.

Ko sought engagement with China while he was mayor, though last year he criticised China's military pressure during a virtual meeting with Shanghai officials.

Ko is a long shot contender for the presidency given the party's recent founding and minimal representation in parliament, with only five out of 113 lawmakers.

Neither the DPP nor KMT have announced their presidential candidates yet, though the DPP is widely expected to select Vice President William Lai, who is also party chairman.

The presidential and parliamentary elections take place next January. (Reuters)