Colonel Xi Yi, spokesman of the Eastern Front Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PRC), said that the exercise, held in the airspace and waters in the north and southwest of Taiwan, “is a stern warning against cooperation between forces defending Taiwan’s independence with foreign powers.”
EMERGENCY COMBAT PREPARATION…
Spokesperson Şı stated that the exercise, in which navy and air force elements participated, was an “emergency combat readiness patrol and drill” and focused on the “coordination of aircraft and ships and the ability to control air and sea areas”.
A video with footage of the exercise was shared on the command’s social media account, and state television CCTV reported that ships carrying guided missiles and fighter jets participated in the exercise.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced that 42 Chinese military aircraft and 8 warships were seen around the island from midnight yesterday to today evening.
In the statement of the ministry, it was stated that 26 out of 42 aircraft crossed the air and sea lines in the Taiwan Strait, which is assumed to limit the areas of influence of the parties.
In the statement, it was noted that the Taiwanese armed forces are closely monitoring the situation with warplanes, ships, detection-tracking devices and land-based missile systems.
“TRANSITION VISITS”
The exercise comes after Lai, the acting leader of Taiwan, which is in a sovereignty conflict with China, returned to the island after visiting the US city of San Francisco following his visit to Paraguay.
Lai had stopped by New York as a transit stop and then San Franciso before Paraguay’s newly elected President Santiago Pena visited this country to attend the inauguration ceremony on 15 August.
The “transitional visits” of Lai, who is the candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the leadership elections to be held in Taiwan next year, drew the reaction of China, which considers the island part of its territory.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Vinbin, at his daily press conference in Beijing yesterday, argued that allowing the US visits, which he defined as a “stopover”, violates the “one China” principle and harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Recalling that the Washington administration had committed to maintaining only informal relations with Taiwan in the Three Joint Declarations, which formed the basis of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Spokesperson Vang stated that they condemned the visits and protested the United States.
Vang noted that Taiwan’s acting leader, Lai, describes himself as “a person working for Taiwan’s independence”, allowing the United States to engage in political activities in his country, to spread separatist ideas, and to hold official contacts and establish concrete relations on behalf of Taiwan. He expressed the view that the “China” principle reveals his intention to hollow out and use Taiwan to encircle China.
EXERCISES WERE ORGANIZED AFTER THE TAIWAN LEADER’S VISITS
Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen also made “transit visits” to the United States before and after his visits to Central American countries Guatemala and Belize in early April, where he met with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy.
The Chinese army held a 3-day military exercise around the island in response to the visit.
The visit of Pelosi, the former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, to Taiwan in August 2022 also caused a crisis between Washington and Beijing.
After the visit, the Chinese army held military exercises that created a de facto blockade around the island, and guided missiles fired from the mainland of China fell into Taiwan waters during the exercises in which real weapons and ammunition were used.
After the visit, China increased the aircraft and ship patrols around Taiwan and made regular flights where it crossed the nominal “middle line” that separates the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan, which China defends as part of its territory, has enjoyed de facto independence since 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was founded. The separation that emerged after the civil war between mainland China and Taiwan still continues.
Beijing, emphasizing the principle of “One China”, opposes Taiwan’s establishing independent diplomatic relations with the countries of the world, its representation in the United Nations and other international organizations, and stipulates that the countries that recognize it should break diplomatic relations with Taiwan. (AA)