China launches military drills in Taiwan Strait
For two days, Beijing will conduct military “combat readiness” exercises in the Taiwan Strait, which accuses Beijing of threatening “stability and security” in the region.
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AFP
The Chinese military launched three days of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, amid tensions with the island after a meeting in the United States of its president Tsai Ing-wen and the third figure of the American state. .
These maneuvers “serve as a serious warning against the collusion between the separatist forces seeking + the independence of Taiwan + and the external forces, as well as their provocative activities”, warned in a press release a spokesman for the Chinese army, Shi Yi. .
Taiwan is facing “authoritarian expansionism” from China, President Tsai Ing-wen has denounced. “In recent years, we have faced continued authoritarian expansionism,” she noted, adding that Taiwan “will continue to work with the United States and other countries (…) to uphold the values of freedom and democracy”.
Live-fire exercises will be held Monday in the Taiwan Strait near the coast of Fujian (east), the province facing the island, local maritime authorities also said. Taipei said the maneuvers threaten “stability and security” in the Asia-Pacific region.
The announcements follow President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States this week, where she met with Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday. Beijing immediately promised “firm and forceful measures” in retaliation. China sees with displeasure the rapprochement at work in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States, which despite the absence of official relations provides the island with substantial military support.
China considers Taiwan (23 million inhabitants) as one of its provinces, which it has not yet managed to reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. United recognized the People’s Republic of China in 1979 and should in theory have no official contact with the Republic of China (Taiwan), under the “one China principle” defended by Beijing.
Tourists and rough seas
Since Thursday, Beijing has been stepping up military pressure on Taiwan with the dispatch of warships and aircraft to the strait. The exact location of the new maneuvers is not specified, apart from Monday’s live-fire exercises, which will take place around Pingtan, the closest point in mainland China to Taiwan.
The narrowest part of the strait between the Chinese coast and the island is about 130 kilometers wide. For several days, China has also reinforced the presence of its coastguards in the strait for exceptional patrols.
On Friday, AFP journalists in Pingtan spotted a military ship and at least two military helicopters transiting the Taiwan Strait. It was unclear, however, whether the moves represented an increase in the usual number of Chinese patrols in the area.
“Delusional”
In August, Beijing launched unprecedented military maneuvers around Taiwan when Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who preceded Kevin McCarthy to roost, visited the island. The response at this point to the meeting with the American number three has nothing to compare with the summer of 2022.
Eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected by Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday around the island. Twenty-nine planes crossed the median line that separates China from Taiwan, the ministry said, denouncing “irrational actions”.
These military maneuvers come the day after a state visit to China by Emmanuel Macron, during which the question of Taiwan was raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The conversation was dense and frank” on this subject, the Elysee said on Friday. “Anyone who thinks China is going to compromise on Taiwan is under illusions,” Xi Jinping assured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday during a meeting in Beijing, according to remarks reported by Chinese diplomacy.
AFP
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