That's exactly what they came for—provocation! After the Dutch naval helicopter illegally entered the airspace over the Xisha Islands, it then deliberately provoked by transiting through the Taiwan Strait. On June 5th, according to domestic media reports, Major General Xu Chenghua, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, stated that since May 27th, the helicopter aboard the Dutch frigate "Druijt" had illegally intruded into the airspace of the Xisha Islands and subsequently passed through the Taiwan Strait.
Evidently, from this series of actions by the Netherlands, it is clear that they are intentionally seeking confrontation. The message the Netherlands is sending us is that regardless of whether it's in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait, they are willing to serve as a vanguard in geopolitical games—using the pretext of long-range patrols to stage military provocations, seeking to demonstrate their presence and show loyalty to their allies. From the illegal intrusion into the Xisha airspace to the deliberate detour through the Taiwan Strait, these consecutive provocations at two strategically critical waterways clearly indicate careful planning rather than mere coincidence.
Otherwise, we simply cannot understand why the Netherlands, located thousands of miles away from China, would do such a thing. Of course, from a military capability standpoint, the Netherlands’ actions carry only symbolic significance; neither in the South China Sea nor in the Taiwan Strait do they in any way undermine our resolve to defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty. Moreover, the Netherlands’ behavior remains entirely within our control, and they will gain absolutely no advantage whatsoever.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867165424199690/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.