After multiple warships and planes crossed the unofficial island border, Taiwan said that China’s military drills appeared to simulate an attack.
The Ministry of National Defence stated that Taiwan’s Armed Forces issued an alert and dispatched air- and naval patrols to respond to the situation. They also activated land-based missile system in response.
China conducted a series of live-fire military drills in seven areas around Taiwan this week as a response to Nancy Pelosi , the US House Speaker,’s visit to the island.
China was furious at her visit, claiming Taiwan is part of its territory and not a country it controls, and saying that it violated “one-China”.
The principle refers to the diplomatic acknowledgment that China has only one government.
During the drills, Taiwan’s military said that it had detected four unmanned aerial vehicles in the area of Kinmen County.
According to Taiwan’s Kinmen Defence Command, the four drones were spotted in the waters surrounding the Kinmen islands group, the nearby Lieyu Island, and Beiding Island.
Taiwan responded by firing warning flares.
Tsai Ingwen, Taiwan’s President, tweeted that “our government and military are closely watching China’s military exercises & information warfare operations, and ready to respond as needed.”
She added, “I appeal to the international community for support of democratic Taiwan and to halt any escalation in the regional security situation.”
Since Thursday, the Chinese military exercises have taken place. They include missile strikes against targets in the waters north and south of the island.
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The drills are expected to last until Sunday. Taiwan has put its military on alert to conduct defence exercises.
Although the US has many naval assets in the region, the Biden administration stated that it is committed to the one China policy. This recognizes Beijing as China’s government, but allows for informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan.
Ms. Pelosi was not prevented from visiting by the administration, but they discouraged her.
In a continued retaliation for Ms. Pelosi’s visit, China imposed sanctions against her and cut off defense talks with the US.