China has sent a clear message to Taiwan with its recent military drill, encircling the island nation with warships and fighter jets in an aggressive show of military might.
This action is in response to Taiwanese President’s meeting with the US House speaker this week and displays China’s firm stance on the matter.
The world is watching to see how the tension between the two countries will unfold.
China encircles Taiwan with warships
On Saturday, Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan in a show of aggressive military force.
This move follows the Taiwanese President’s meeting with the US House speaker during her stopover in the United States earlier this week.
The massive military drill included fighter jets and other military vessels sent to encircle Taiwan, a self-governing island that China considers to be part of its territory.
This is just the latest example of China’s increasingly assertive stance towards Taiwan as it seeks to bolster its presence in the region.
Beijing has repeatedly warned Taipei not to challenge China’s sovereignty over the island, even going so far as to threaten armed conflict if necessary.
Saturday’s deployment of Chinese warships and fighter jets was seen as a direct response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s stopover in the US and her meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Both the US and Taiwan have condemned the move as a provocation and an infringement on Taiwan’s freedom.
In a joint statement released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Defense Secretary Christopher C Miller,
both condemned China for “trying to intimidate its neighbors by flexing its military muscle”.
They reaffirmed their commitment to upholding “the bedrock principle enshrined in the Three Communiques between the United States and
the People’s Republic of China” which recognizes Taiwan’s autonomy from mainland China.
The White House has also publicly expressed concern about China’s recent actions, issuing a warning that any attempts to interfere with President Tsai’s
US stopover or limit her ability to engage freely would result in a stern response from Washington.
Meanwhile, many American lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to take a tougher stance against Beijing’s provocations,
calling for more support for Taiwan’s defense capabilities and diplomatic relations with Washington.
The meeting between President Tsai and House Speaker Pelosi was seen as a significant step forward in strengthening relations between Washington and Taipei, which could further complicate matters between Washington and Beijing.
The show of force is in response to the Taiwanese President
China has responded aggressively to the Taiwanese President’s meeting with the US House Speaker this week by deploying Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets in a massive military drill.
The US State Department granted the Taiwanese President a stopover in Hawaii to meet with the US House Speaker as part of her trip to three South Pacific allies.
This has angered China, which claims Taiwan as its own and considers it an integral part of the country.
China has increased its military activity around Taiwan in recent months, which has further raised tensions between Beijing and Washington.
On Saturday, Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected entering Taiwanese airspace in what was described as a “massive military drill”.
The fighters circled the island several times before returning back to their bases on mainland China.
China has been increasing its military activity around Taiwan
In a recent show of force, Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected by the Taiwanese military in the waters around Taiwan.
This came shortly after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s US stopover and meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The Chinese military sent a strong message by deploying the ships and fighter jets to encircle the island, which is seen as part of their territory.
It was an aggressive display, as these fighter jets conducted a massive military drill around the island.
This is yet another example of how China has been increasing its military activity around Taiwan in recent months.
In addition to sending fighter jets for military drills, Chinese forces have been conducting more frequent long-range maritime patrols near the contested area surrounding Taiwan.
On January 11th, 2020 the United States made history when its highest ranking diplomat, House speaker Nancy Pelosi, visited Taipei for a historic meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen.
The trip prompted harsh criticism from Beijing due to the long-standing political disagreements between the two countries over Taiwan’s status.
Shortly following the US stopover and meeting, Beijing launched fighter jets in a massive military drill around Taiwan as an apparent attempt to intimidate the island nation.
Images of fighter jets flying through the skies quickly spread on social media platforms, further underscoring the increasingly tense situation in the region.
This latest move demonstrates just how serious the Chinese government is about exercising its control over the island, even though they do not recognize it as an independent state.
It also serves to remind Taiwan that it must remain wary of any provocation or challenge that could lead to conflict with China.
Furthermore, it also serves as a warning signal to the US about the potential ramifications if it does not recognize Beijing’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
It appears that both sides are at odds on this issue and tensions will continue to escalate until a mutually acceptable solution is found.
Taiwan is a self-governing island that China considers to be part of its territory
Despite China’s claims, Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949. Recently, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a stopover on her way to visit diplomatic allies in the Caribbean.
This meeting has increased tensions between China and Taiwan and led to China displaying a show of military might with warships and fighter jets in a massive military drill that was aimed at encircling the island.
In response, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to help Taiwan defend itself from any hostile action.
Furthermore, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had stated in a statement that “The United States will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability” after the Taiwanese President’s stopover in the US.
The Chinese government also strongly criticized the meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen and House speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemning it as “separatist activities” and calling it an interference in their internal affairs.
This was in response to the US stopover and meeting between the Taiwanese President and the House speaker.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command launched the “combat alert patrols” under the “Joint Sword” exercises in the Taiwan Strait,
which divides the Chinese mainland from the island, and conducted drills that “encircled” Taiwan from the north, south, and east.
The Chinese government has stated that it will not tolerate any attempts at independence for Taiwan, and will continue to take “necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty.