Taken together, the frequent incursions, which came from many directions and included sophisticated fighter jets and heavy bombers, are without modern examples and show a significant increase in cross-strain tensions.
“What we are seeing now is not just the situation off the coast of Taiwan, but a regional situation. China’s recent military activities, especially in the last few days, are clearly a threat of force, part of their verbal attacks and military threats.” Against Taiwan), “President Tsai Ing-wen told reporters on Sunday.
The three-day visit to the island was condemned by Beijing, with a spokesman for the country’s foreign ministry calling for an “immediate closure” of official exchanges between the two sides.
A total of 37 Chinese aircraft on Friday and Saturday, According to a press release from Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, a mix of H-6 bombers, J-10, J-11 and J-16 fighters and Y-8 anti-submarine warplanes has crossed the mid-line.
The ministry said in a statement that it had “issued radio alerts, killed fighters and set up an air defense missile system to monitor activities.” In his remarks, Tsai said such action would “make other countries in the region more aware of the threat posed by China.”
On Monday, Beijing said its military was operating legally. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory, and there is no so-called middle line.
‘Threat of force’
Since the island’s partition from the mainland China in 1949 after the end of the bloody Civil War, the U.S. Ga maintains close ties with Taiwan. But since Washington, Washington and Beijing established formal diplomatic relations in 1979, the U.S. has largely avoided sending high-ranking officials to Taipei to avoid a backlash from the Chinese government.
China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, is clear in his ambition to “reconnect” the island with the mainland, and although the ruling Chinese Communist Party has never had direct control over Taiwan, he has refused to use force.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement on Friday that “recent exercises were made necessary because of the current situation on the Taiwan Strait.”
A spokesman added that the Chinese military had the “confidence and determination” to thwart any attempt by any person or force to carry out separatist activities in any form of “urgent freedom”. “
In the report, citing Chinese mainland military analysts, the PLA deployed combat aircraft combination was similar to the actual combat situation and covered a variety of scenarios.
“This time the PLA exercise is not a warning, but a rehearsal for the Taiwan takeover,” the report quoted analysts as saying.
U.S. The military is also making its presence known, sending warships through the Taiwan Strait with increasing frequency.
The Pentagon said in a statement on Friday that it was Beijing that was raising tensions in the region.
“The PLA’s aggressive and volatile responses reflect a steady effort to change stability and rewrite history. This is another example of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) increasingly using its military as a tool of coercion with Taiwan and other neighbors.” Pentagon spokesman John Suppley.
U.S. in live fire drills. Army
PLA forces conducted an exercise near Taiwan, U.S. The forces conducted a series of live-fire drills in a series of 1,700 miles (2,750 kilometers) southeast of Guam.
Destroyer Squadron 15’s Commodore Modor U.S. “This exercise demonstrates our ability to bring tremendous firepower from the ocean, whether it comes from below the surface, from the surface, or from the air,” Navy Capt. Steven Demos said in a statement. “We have this capability in every theater around the world and can use these weapons at the place and time of our choice.”
On Sunday, the guided missile cruiser USS Antitam attacked the island’s targets with a Tomahawk cruise missile. The exercise demonstrates Antietam’s ability to track, target and engage in threats to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
CNN’s Steven Jiang, Ben Westcott and Ryan Brown contributed to the report.
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