Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a translated statement that “China’s announcement of its plan to conduct military exercises in the sea and airspace around the main island of Taiwan is an attempt to threaten our important ports and urban areas and unilaterally undermine regional peace and stability. “ China announced the military operations shortly after US President Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday. She is the highest-ranking US official to visit the self-governing island in 25 years.
Read more: Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan as China issues warning
Taiwan’s defense ministry said 21 Chinese aircraft entered its air defense reconnaissance zone on Tuesday. Story continues below ad “The so-called drilling areas fall within the busiest international channels in the Indo-Pacific region,” a senior Taiwanese official familiar with its security planning told Reuters on Wednesday. “We can see China’s ambition: to make the Taiwan Strait non-international waters, as well as make the entire area west of the first island chain in the western Pacific its sphere of influence,” the person said. China’s military is planning live-fire drills from August 4 to 7, according to China’s official Xinhua News, and they are to be held in six different areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan. The exercises include firing long-range munitions into the Taiwan Straits. “This action is a serious deterrent against the recent major escalation of the United States’ negative actions on the Taiwan issue and a serious warning to the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces seeking ‘independence,’” the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said. . Trending Stories
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The US has for decades supported a “One China” policy toward Taiwan that recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. 1:20 China to conduct ‘joint military operations’ as Pelosi lands in Taiwan, state media says China to conduct ‘joint military operations’ as Pelosi lands in Taiwan, state media says John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden supports Pelosi’s trip and is consistent with longstanding US policy. He said China was positioned to take further action in response to the trip. Story continues below ad “We expect that they will continue to react in the long term,” he said, noting that the US “will not engage in rattles.” China announced on Wednesday local time that it has suspended exports of sand to Taiwan and imports of Taiwanese citrus, white striped flounder and frozen flounder from August 3. It also banned two Taiwanese institutions from doing financial business with mainland companies and individuals, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday. The two foundations are the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund. Pelosi began a visit to Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday and said she hoped there would be an increase in parliamentary exchanges between the US and Taiwan. 3:18 USA Will not ‘engage in rattlesnakes’ with China as Pelosi visits Taiwan: official US will not ‘engage in rattlesnakes’ with China as Pelosi visits Taiwan: Official © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
