The new cold war with China is on. Last week, China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) by flaunting its naval might in a parade of ships off the port of Qingdao to impress and intimidate countries from the region and around the world.

Meanwhile, the white-and-orange ships of the US Coast Guard are joining the gray hulls of the US Navy in the “gray zone” waters of the South China Sea. Their mission: To assist in confronting increasingly aggressive maritime activities by the PLAN.

Vice President Chen Chien-jen, front row third right, former US secretary of health and human services Tom Price, center front, and other guests yesterday attend the opening of the 2019 Taiwan-US Global Cooperation Training Framework workshop on tuberculosis prevention in Taipei.
Photo: CNA

The US supports Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 20 to 28, former US secretary of health and human services Tom Price and American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen said in Taipei yesterday.

China’s ambition to annex Taiwan and its military threats against the nation are nothing new. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has identified its aggression as a menace, there is an event bigger peril facing Taiwan: Politicians and the public lack a thorough understanding of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) true nature.

As a result of a collective naivete toward the CCP, Taiwan lacks sufficient vigilance against Chinese hostility.