Tensions continue between Beijing and Taipei after the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. The Taiwanese government accused the Asian giant of deploying military ships and planes beyond the symbolic border in six different adjacent points of the island country. The head of US diplomacy described China’s reaction as “exaggerated”, but urged to keep the dialogue channel open.
This Saturday the conflict involving China and Taiwan continued to escalate, unleashed this week after the president of the United States Congress, Nancy Pelosi, visited the island country and met with the president.
In response, Beijing three days ago began to carry out military maneuvers around the island. This morning Taipei denounced that military ships and planes violated the middle line of the Strait of Formosa and carried out “a possible simulated attack.”
The Chinese practices were located in six different points of the periphery, one of them only 20 kilometers from Kaohsiung, the main city of the South.
Contrary to other occasions where such actions took place, now they “cover a larger area, involve more military elements and are expected to be highly effective,” Chinese military experts said.
The official Chinese newspaper Global Times ratified the version and detailed that “joint exercises at sea and in the air, realistic and combat-oriented” were carried out in the northern, southwestern and eastern regions of Taiwan.
As accused by the island’s Ministry of National Defense on its Twitter account, the objective of these activities would be a “high-value asset.” Instead, some local media said it’s a mockery for an attack.
In this framework, as on Friday, Taiwan activated alerts and mobilized its air and naval patrols, activated its system against land missiles. The Defense portfolio said yesterday that 49 planes crossed the symbolic border that separated the two nations for decades.
In addition, in another letter, they also reported that there were seven drone operations on the Kinmen Islands, located just five kilometers from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Matsu and Dongyin.
Taiwan called the hostile military presence a “blockade,” while President Tsai Ing-Wen called it “irresponsible.”
The drills carried out by the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) also included medical practices. They adapted a high-speed train as a mobile hospital, something that would mean military preparation, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post published.
The EPL exercises, which began in reaction to Pelosi’s visit, will run through Sunday. So far, there has been live fire and long-range missile launches.
Blinken, between the exaggeration of China and the dialogue
After Beijing called Pelosi’s visit a “farce” and a “deplorable betrayal” and harassed Taiwan with military drills, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sought to tone it down.
This Saturday, during his presence in the Philippines, the chief diplomat remarked that Pelosi’s trip was only a “peaceful visit” that does not merit a sharp response from China. While he clarified that an attack in the South China Sea would find a response from the United States.
However, despite acknowledging that the differences between Washington and Beijing “are increasing”, he made it clear that they have no interest in “escalating the situation even more” and asked the authorities of the Asian giant to keep “the doors open for diplomacy. “I conveyed that to Wang Yi yesterday,” he stressed.
“You will see the United States stand firm, supporting the Philippines, regional organizations like ASEAN, to make free decisions. We will continue to stand by Taiwan in terms of stability,” she concluded.
The Xi Jinping government announced on Friday, August 5, that it is suspending the high-level military dialogue with the United States, as well as various cooperation programs between the two countries. Among them, anti-drug assistance and collaboration in the repatriation of undocumented immigrants.
with EFE
Source: France 24
