Status update – After Nancy Pelosi’s visit, the Chinese military launched fighter jets, warships, and ballistic missiles in what analysts view as a mock siege and invasion of Taiwan.
China closed on Sunday Its largest military exercises conducted around TaiwanAn angry reaction to the visit to the island by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy PelosiThat pushed relations between Beijing and Washington to their lowest level in years.
US third seed Nancy Pelosi angered China with her visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, the largest by a US lawmaker to Taiwan in 25 years. Beijing, which regards the island as one of its provinces, responded by suspending a series of bilateral discussions and cooperation between China and the United States, particularly on climate change and defense.
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The Chinese military also launched the largest military exercise in its history, sending fighters, warships and ballistic missiles into what analysts say is a mock siege and invasion of Taiwan.
On Sunday, I droveJoint operational exercises at sea and in the air around Taiwan Island, as plannedThe Eastern Command of the Chinese Army that oversees the country’s eastern maritime space – and thus Taiwan – said. These exercises are intended toTesting combined firepower in the field and long-range air strike capabilities“, he added.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed that China published “Airplanes, ships and drones“About the Strait”To simulate attacks on the main island of Taiwan and on ships in our waters».
new exercises
These extensive exercises were due to be completed by midday, even if Beijing intended to conduct new exercises.with live ammunitionUntil August 15 in the Yellow Sea that separates China from the Korean Peninsula.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation said that six out of seven in the afternoon “Temporary danger zonesWhich China asked airlines to avoid has returned to normal, a sign that the exercises are about to end. “The relevant flights and navigation may gradually resumeThe same source said that the seventh area located in the waters east of Taiwan will remain in place until Monday at 10:00 am (0200 GMT). From the Chinese side, the Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request to confirm the end of the exercises.
To demonstrate how close it is to the Taiwanese coast, the Chinese military on Saturday released a photo it said it had taken from one of its military ships, showing a Taiwan Navy building a few hundred meters away. This shot may be the closest to the Taiwanese coast ever taken by Chinese forces. The Chinese military also released a video of one of the fighter pilots showing the coast of Taiwan and its mountains from the cockpit in full flight. According to Chinese state television CCTV, missiles flew over Taiwan this week during exercises across the island – which will be the first.
On the Taiwan side, Prime Minister Su Tsengchang estimated on Sunday that China “I used military action in a barbaric wayIn order to destabilize the peace in the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from the island. “We call on the Chinese government not to use its military might, and not to flex its muscles everywhere to endanger the peace of the region.He told the press. The Taiwan Foreign Ministry estimated that the exercises threaten “region and even the world».
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Moreover, an anonymous op-ed published by CCTV on Sunday suggested that other exercises “NormalIt will be held on the eastern side of the center line, which divides the strait into two halves. Drawn unilaterally by the United States during the Cold War, this line was never recognized by Beijing.
The scale of the maneuvers and Beijing’s decision to withdraw from crucial bilateral dialogues on climate and defense has sparked a barrage of condemnation from the United States and its allies. On Saturday in Manila, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken denouncedtotal disproportionFrom the Chinese reaction. China should not takehostage“Discussions on issues such as climate change because”Do not punish the United States, but the whole world“, he added.
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