According to Moscow, the drills include anti-submarine exercises, apparently aimed at providing US support to Taiwan in the event of a possible Chinese invasion. China’s military said the drills, which include missile strikes, warplanes and ship movements crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates the sides, were a response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the disputed island last year. week. In continued retaliation for Ms Pelosi’s trip, China has imposed sanctions on her and suspended defense and climate change talks with the US. Beijing described the visit as a “major interference” in its internal affairs, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the military response to the trip “blatantly provocative”. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing sees visits by foreign officials to Taiwan as recognition of its sovereignty. Taiwan’s prime minister has condemned China as its “bad next-door neighbor” after its military began live-fire drills around the island. China has ignored calls to ease tensions and there was no immediate indication when it would end what amounts to a blockade. Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Sunday it had detected a total of 66 aircraft and 14 warships conducting naval and air exercises. The island responded by putting its military on alert and deploying ships, planes and other means to track Chinese aircraft, ships and drones that “simulate attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on the international community to “support democratic Taiwan” and “stop any escalation of the regional security situation.” Read more: Badly timed visit to Taiwan could lead US and China to ease into a crisis Image: Pic: AP Image: Pic: AP The Biden administration says the US remains committed to the “one China” policy that extends formal diplomatic recognition to Beijing while allowing strong informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. However, the US criticized Beijing’s actions in the Taiwan Strait, with White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre calling them “fundamentally irresponsible”.
