China Turned Taiwan's Difficulty in Middle East Evacuation Process to Its Advantage
China capitalized on Taiwan's mistake - Following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, many flights to and from Middle Eastern countries were postponed or canceled. This situation left thousands of travelers in the region, including Taiwanese citizens, in a difficult position.
Amid rising tensions and security concerns in the region, the issue of evacuating Taiwanese citizens led to serious diplomatic competition between Beijing and Taipei. Both sides intensified their efforts to extract their citizens, as well as ethnic Chinese, from the dangerous region.
On March 10, a China Eastern Airlines plane transported over 70 Taiwanese passengers from the Middle East to Shanghai, demonstrating Beijing's more agile and proactive approach to the matter. This move was seen as a favorable opportunity for China to strengthen its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials were criticized for their slow reaction in the process of evacuating their citizens. China's action became a tool to emphasize Beijing's ability to protect the interests of all "Chinese," including residents of Taiwan.
This incident is part of the People's Republic of China's policy of considering Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory and preventing Taiwan from being recognized as an independent entity in the international arena. Beijing uses such situations to strengthen its influence over Taiwan.
Analysts note that through this evacuation operation, China attempted to demonstrate its power and care to both the international community and the Taiwanese population. The aim was to create the impression that Taiwan was unable to provide adequate support to its own citizens.