This was announced by Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday (8). 71 Chinese military aircraft crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait. The line is informally considered the territorial boundary between the two sides.
The presence of fighters and bombers. On the sea, nine Chinese military ships were sighted. See below the recording of one of the ships:
Chinese military ship spotted in waters off Taiwan
The activities are part of a series of military exercises Beijing announced following Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen’s visit to US House Speaker Republican Kevin McCarthy.
- China announces military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait
The Taiwanese government’s statement on the military action says the Chinese are using Tsai’s visit to McCarthy as a “pretext for military exercises that have undermined stability, security and peace in the region.”
The text also states that “the military [de Taiwan] will respond with a calm, rational and serious attitude, and will continue to guard and monitor, adhering to the principles of nonescalation of conflict or dispute in order to safeguard national sovereignty and security.
The People’s Liberation Army of China announced it would hold military exercises from Saturday to next Monday (10) to prepare for fighting with the Taiwan Strait in the northern and southern parts of the island and in the eastern airspace of the island.
Why is the meeting with Taiwan’s president controversial?
China regards the island of Taiwan as a rebel province that is part of Chinese territory and has agreed to recapture it, including by force if necessary.
Under the “One China Principle,” the Chinese government does not allow any country to maintain diplomatic relations with China and Taiwan at the same time. Only 13 countries in the world recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The US administration has long maintained a “strategic ambiguity” on the issue, a doctrine aimed at preventing China from invading Taiwan and preventing the island’s leaders from provoking Beijing with a declaration of independence.