66 planes and 14 Chinese warships were spotted in and around the Taiwan Strait on Sunday as Beijing launched military drills on an unprecedented scale around the island on Thursday.
China ended its major military maneuvers around Taiwan on Sunday, in response to the visit to the island by US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. The latter has sparked the ire of the Chinese authorities, further damaging the already bleak relations between Beijing and Washington.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it detected 66 Chinese air force planes as of Sunday, as well as 14 Chinese warships operating in and around the Taiwan Strait, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
Neither China nor Taiwan have, for the time being, confirmed that the maneuvers of the Chinese army were over.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Taiwan was Chinese territory and not American territory, in a new invective.
According to Wang Yi, the United States uses “sophisms” about Taiwan, and China’s actions are right, proper and legal. They also aim to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
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