Representative Image

Taiwan has sought India’s help for inclusion in Interpol, amid intense military exercises by China near the island over a US official’s visit earlier this month. China, with its increasing clout, has been accused of abusing the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) for its gains. It has been exerting its influence on Interpol since 2016 using its economic might.

Till 1984, Taiwan was part of the Interpol General Assembly but China edged the island out.

“Taiwan is not a member state of Interpol. We can’t send our delegation to the General Assembly. India is the host country that has the power to invite us. We expect India and others to invite Taiwan as an observer,” the Commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Bureau told India Today.

The 90th Interpol General Assembly will be held in India in October.

Meanwhile, tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to rise as the Taiwanese defence ministry on Thursday (August 18) said that over 50 Chinese military aircraft were detected in operation around the island.

The defence ministry wrote on Twitter, “6 PLAN vessels and 51 PLA aircraft around our surrounding region were detected today (August 18, 2022) until 1700(GMT+8).”

Taiwan’s air force also showcased its anti-aircraft capabilities on Thursday and stated that they were ready for action 24 hours a day for any situation.

Meanwhile, Air defence officer Chen Te-huan said, “We were not nervous at all at that time, as our regular training is prepared for all-day, 24-hour missile operations. When the Chinese military acted, we were already well prepared.”