China has launched a military exercise in the form of encircling Taiwan in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Front Spokesperson Sui announced today that “from the 8th to the 10th, the type of combat security patrol and sharp sword combined training surrounding the island of Taiwan will be organized as planned.”
He said, “This exercise is a stern warning against the collusion and provocation of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external forces, and is an essential action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In this regard, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense identified 13 Chinese military aircraft and 3 warships around Taiwan on the morning of the 7th local time, of which 4 military aircraft crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.
China’s training is interpreted as retaliation for a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Reagan Library in California on the 5th.
This is the first time that a sitting Taiwanese president has met with a U.S. House speaker on the U.S. mainland.
On the 6th, immediately after the meeting, the Chinese government announced that it would take ″resolute and strong measures″, and on the 7th announced sanctions against the Reagan Library and the Hudson Institute, which were involved in activities involving Taiwanese representative Xiao Mei-qin and President Tsai’s visit to the United States. .
When US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year, China set up a training area in the form of encircling Taiwan and staged a high-intensity armed demonstration, including missile launches.
Responding to China’s exercise announcement, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on the day that it would “respond cautiously and calmly, without escalating or inciting conflict,” Archyde.com reported.