China’s military began live-munitions exercises near Taiwan on Thursday in a days-long apparent show of force following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island.
The latest: Taiwan’s defense ministry said it had activated its defense systems after the Chinese military fired multiple ballistic missiles into waters northeast and southwest of Taipei. “We condemn such an irrational act that threatened regional peace,” the ministry said.
- China’s military earlier said it carried out “long-range live-fire precision missile strikes” in the eastern region of the Taiwan Strait, as its state media described the drills as “joint blockade, sea target attack, land target strike and airspace control’.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Maritime Port Bureau said the Chinese military has added a seventh area for its exercises surrounding the self-governing island.
Why it matters: The zones delineated by the Chinese military for the drills surround Taiwan, and some areas cross into territorial waters claimed by the island, the New York Times noted, raising concerns about potential dangerous incidents or miscalculations.
- China’s military warned boats and planes to avoid the areas from Thursday to Sunday for the drills, which Taiwan’s defense ministry said violated Taipei’s sovereignty and could amount to a “blockade of Taiwan’s air and sea space.”
- The planned exercises “unilaterally undermine regional peace and stability,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. “This move will not help China’s international image and will harm the people on both sides of the strait.
- Current tensions mirror the 1996 cross-strait crisis.
What they’re saying: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia on Wednesday that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was a “complete farce.”
- He said the “irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland cannot be changed” and those “who offend China will certainly be punished.”
Quick catch-up: The Chinese government announced the drills as Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for an overnight visit, angering Beijing, which warned of “serious consequences” in the days leading up to the trip.
- Pelosi, the most senior US lawmaker to visit the island since 1997, made the trip despite President Biden saying publicly that the US military thought it was “not a good idea at this time”.
- “Now more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is critical,” Pelosi said early Wednesday local time as she met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
- Despite the heightened tensions, many in Taipei expressed appreciation for Pelosi’s support, Axios’ Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports from Taiwan. Tsai said on Wednesday that Taiwan will never back down amid heightened security threats.
Flashback: China, angered by a visit to the U.S. by then-Tawaiian president Lee Teng-hui, conducted missile tests in 1996, with missiles landing in waters off Taiwan and one flying almost directly over the capital, Taipei, Allen-Ebrahimian writes.
- Meanwhile, the US sent two aircraft carrier groups through the Taiwan Strait.
Go deeper… In pictures: Chinese military exercises surround Taiwan
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
Add Comment