Chinese Military Launches Drills Around Taiwan as “Stern Warning” Following Vice President’s US Trip
BEIJING – The Chinese military conducted drills near Taiwan on Saturday as a response to what it called collusion between “separatists and foreign forces,” according to the defense ministry. This comes just days after Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai visited the United States to strengthen relations.
Vice President Lai’s trip to Paraguay, the country’s last diplomatic partner in South America, included stops in San Francisco and New York City. However, China’s ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan part of its territory and denies its right to engage in foreign relations.
A spokesperson for China’s Eastern Theater Command stated that the military exercises focused on coordinating vessels and planes and testing their ability to seize control of air and sea spaces. The drills were a warning against provocation from pro-Taiwan independence forces and foreign forces, the spokesperson added.
Footage released by the command showed soldiers running, military boats, and planes. State media CCTV reported that missile-equipped boats and fighter jets were involved, and units simulated the surrounding of Taiwan.
In response to the drills, Taiwan’s defense ministry announced that it detected 42 Chinese military aircraft entering the Taiwan Strait, with 26 crossing the unofficial boundary known as the midline. Taiwan deployed its own aircraft, vessels, and land-based missile systems and closely monitored the situation.
The defense ministry strongly condemned what it called “irrational, provocative moves” by the Chinese army. It reaffirmed its readiness to face threats from China and vowed to protect national security.
Taiwan split from China in 1949 following a civil war. Although the island has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it has the right to retake, even by force if necessary.
China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that an unnamed official from China’s Taiwan Work Office condemned what it called further collusion between Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the U.S. The official accused Vice President Lai of using his stopovers in the U.S. to sell out Taiwan’s interests and described him as a “troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the dangerous brink of war.”
China’s military drills are its largest in recent years since former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last August. In response to Pelosi’s visit, China fired missiles over the island, disrupting trade lanes in the Taiwan Strait and rerouting flights.
The drills this time were seen as a response to Vice President Lai’s trip and his meetings with U.S. officials. Lai is also his party’s candidate for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
