Seventy-one Chinese military aircraft crossed the sensitive Taiwan Strait median line on Saturday (8), Reuters news agency reports.
China began exercises around Taiwan after becoming irritated by President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker.
The three-day exercises announced a day after Tsai’s return from the United States, were widely expected after Beijing condemned his meeting on Wednesday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
China sees democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. The Taiwanese government vehemently opposes China’s claims.
Beijing’s announcement also came just hours after China received a visit from top European leaders.
The People’s Liberation Army said it has begun combat readiness patrols and “Joint Sword” exercises around Taiwan, having previously said it would maintain them in the Taiwan Strait and north, south, and east Taiwan “as planned.”
“This is a serious warning to Taiwan’s separatist independence forces and collusion and provocation by outside forces, and is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Chinese army’s Eastern Theater Command said.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said at 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) Saturday that it spotted 71 Chinese aircraft, including fighters and bombers, crossing the median line that usually serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, as well as nine Chinese ships.
China was using Tsai’s visit to the US “as an excuse to conduct military exercises, which have seriously damaged regional peace, stability, and security,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The military will respond with a calm, rational and serious attitude, and will stand guard and monitor by the principles of ‘no escalation and no dispute’ to defend national sovereignty and national security.”
Chinese state television released what it said were images of the exercises, with martial music blaring and showing warships at sea and mobile missile launchers being prepared. However, they did not show missiles being fired. He said fighter planes went up armed with real weapons.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief