According to the Ministry of Defense in Taipei, 42 fighter jets and eight warships have been registered around the island. Taiwan’s president only met the speaker of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday – which the government in Beijing saw as a serious provocation.
Amid heightened tensions, China has started a major military exercise around the island of Taiwan. Bomber planes and rocket boats were mobilized for the maneuvers planned until Monday. A spokesman for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said it was a “serious warning” to “separatist forces” in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Saturday that 42 warplanes and eight warships had been registered around the island. 29 aircraft had penetrated Taiwan’s air defense zone (“Air Defense Identification Zone”). This is a buffer zone between the island nation and the People’s Republic of China.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which is responsible for relations with Beijing, sharply criticized the military drills. These would “undermine peace and stability in the region,” it said in a statement. The government is determined to defend national sovereignty and democracy and to continue to work closely with like-minded democratic countries.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for talks on Wednesday. The encounter in California was the first of its kind on US soil. Tsai thanked the United States for their continued support. Referring to China, she said, “We are once again in a world where democracy is under threat.” The Chinese government, on the other hand, spoke of “outrageous misconduct” and viewed the high-level meeting as a serious provocation.
Xi reiterated China’s claim to power on the island just last week
The communist leadership in Beijing regards the democratically governed island of Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and is trying to politically isolate the 23 million inhabitants. Beijing also regularly threatens to conquer Taiwan by military means if necessary. At a meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing on Thursday, China’s state and party leader Xi Jinping reiterated his claim to power on the island: “To expect China to be willing to compromise on the Taiwan issue is just wishful thinking. Anyone who does that will just shoot yourself in the foot.”
A visit to Taiwan by McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, in August had led to a serious crisis. At that time, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army simulated a military island blockade. The Taiwan conflict is a key issue between the People’s Republic of China and the United States. Washington is committed to Taiwan’s defense capability, which includes arms shipments. Observers fear the dispute could potentially spark a military confrontation between the two world powers.