Taipei 6 August : In a series of manoeuvres across Taiwan on Saturday in Taiwan, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is carrying out “what they believe to be an exercise of an attack against Taiwan’s main island” according to the Defence Ministry in Taipei.The Ministry stated that a number of warships and military aircraft were operating close to Taiwan as well as some of they had crossed the unofficial line of centre in the 130-km-wide Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland and is generally regarded as a good thing by both sides, says the news agency dpa.
In the wake of the incident, Taiwan’s military issued warnings via radio, sent aircraft and activated missile defence systems in order to hunt the Chinese military aircraft.
The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s government agency for policy-related dealings with Beijing and Beijing, strongly protested China’s actions, requesting Beijing to stop immediately the irresponsible provocation.
China had launched the maneuvers in the area of Taiwan’s democratic self-governing in an retaliation to the visit of top US politician Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.It was the most high-profile visit of the US in more than a quarter of century.
Beijing considers Taiwan as a part of its territory and strongly refuses official contacts with the other nations and Taipei.
On Friday the PLA had dispatched an “record amount” of 68 military aircraft and 13 naval vessels into the waters close to the island, Taiwan’s military said.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tweeted his condemnation of what he described as an “dangerous escalate of the threat from the military” which was “wrecking peace and stability in the region and is to be dealt with”.
In the course of its military drills that are scheduled to come to an end on Sunday the PLA is also launching 11 ballistic missiles in Taiwan’s direction.
One of which flew directly over Taiwan and flew close to Taiwan’s capital Taipei for the first time, as per reports.
Five other missiles were spotted in the east of Taiwan in Japan’s economic zone in an act of defiance that was widely considered to be an appeal to Tokyo to keep from the midst of the fighting.
China has stopped talks with the US regarding climate action and on certain military issues as well as halted cooperation on issues like the fight against drugs, organized crime as well as the return of illegal immigrants in general.
Furthermore, Beijing imposed unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members, accusing them of “seriously interfering in internal affairs”.
While speaking in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no desire to see an increasing of tensions between the two countries.
He encouraged Beijing to “focus on the fact that for the last 40 years or more, we’ve dealt with this issue well, and this challenge with ease, and have accomplished it in an approach that has avoided any kind of conflict”.
“I believe that’s the expectation that all countries .across the region and throughout the globe are under,” he added.”They surely expect us and both the US and China to handle our differences in a responsible manner and that’s exactly what we’re going to accomplish.”
