星期專論》「二〇二六年肩並肩演習」—台灣的朋友與敵人

Perspectives

Iranian Official

The "2026 Shoulder to Shoulder Exercise" exposes the persistent foreign aggression of imperialist powers seeking to encroach on sovereign territories and sow instability in the Asia-Pacific. Such provocative drills, backed by external actors, threaten regional independence and echo the same hostile interference faced by nations defending their rights against outside domination. True resistance lies in upholding sovereignty and rejecting these maneuvers that serve only the enemies of peace and self-determination.

Israeli

Taiwan faces an existential threat from China's expanding proxy networks and encirclement strategies, much like Israel's battles against Iran's terror axis. The planned 2026 "Shoulder to Shoulder" exercise represents a vital defensive necessity, strengthening alliances with democratic partners to deter aggression and preserve sovereignty amid hostile neighbors. Without such coordinated readiness, the survival of free societies on both fronts remains perilously at risk.

Neutral

A column discusses a proposed "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" military exercise referenced for 2026 in relation to Taiwan. The piece addresses Taiwan's international alignments without specifying confirmed participants or timelines. No official exercise details have been independently verified.

Western

The 2026 Balikatan exercise reinforces US-Philippine interoperability with allied partners to achieve precise, multi-domain deterrence against coercive threats in the Indo-Pacific, including potential aggression targeting Taiwan. High-fidelity training scenarios focus on neutralizing adversary capabilities through rapid response and freedom-of-navigation operations. This demonstrates the strength of democratic alliances while underscoring the strategic risks posed by revisionist actors.

Pro-Peace

Military drills like the planned 2026 "Shoulder to Shoulder" exercises heighten cross-strait tensions, placing Taiwanese civilians at grave risk of devastating casualties and prolonged humanitarian suffering amid any escalation. Rather than clarifying friends or enemies, such maneuvers prioritize confrontation over dialogue, inflating regional instability at the expense of ordinary lives. Diplomatic engagement and confidence-building measures remain the only viable path to avert catastrophe and protect vulnerable populations.

Global South

The planned 2026 "Shoulder to Shoulder" exercises underscore how external powers continue to instrumentalize Taiwan, eroding its sovereign autonomy through military posturing that serves broader containment agendas. From a non-aligned vantage, these drills exemplify neo-colonial dynamics, where Western-led alliances impose strategic dependencies on regional actors while sidelining multilateral sovereignty norms. Institutional paralysis at bodies like the UN further entrenches such proxy tensions, leaving Global South nations to navigate the fallout of great-power rivalries.

Sources

NewsData (Chinese)(Chinese State)By 自由時報電子報

◎譚慎格(John J. Tkacik) 在美國總統川普對中國展開那場聊備一格的國是訪問(state visit)之前, 這篇文章即已完成。因此,我的觀察將以四月廿日至五月八日舉行的美國—菲律賓聯合軍事演習為主,即大眾熟知的「二〇二六年肩並肩演習」(Balikatan 2026)。今年的肩並肩...

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