Taiwan says it spotted "several" Chinese planes and naval vessels participating in military exercises around the Taiwan Strait on Saturday in what could be a possible mock attack on the island. Line in the Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China.
"Our military has issued alerts, deployed combat air patrols and naval vessels, and activated
land-based missile systems in response to the situation," the ministry said.
The statement did not specify how many Chinese planes and ships were spotted.
The Chinese military has not yet issued a statement on the purpose of the Saturday drills.The news follows a series of military drills China has been holding since Thursday after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the self-governing democratic island in Taiwan earlier this month. and has long promised to "unite" the island with mainland China by force if necessary.
China deploys warships and planes near Taiwan, alerting Japan as tensions rise The full ramifications of his visit are only now becoming apparent as China ramps up military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan and halts cooperation with the US on various issues.
On Friday, 68 Chinese warplanes were reported in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Taiwan Defense Ministry. Of these, 49 entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, an airspace buffer zone commonly known as ADIZ. Few planes missed last year's record, when 56 Chinese fighter jets flew into ADIZ on the same day.
On Thursday, China launched 11 ballistic missiles, some of which flew over the island of Taiwan and landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, prompting Tokyo to file a formal complaint with Beijing. This was the first time China sent missiles over the island.
Also on Thursday, two Chinese drones flew near Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, prompting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to deploy fighter jets in response.According to Chinese state media, the exercises will continue until Sunday local time in Beijing.
Diplomatic consequences
The deteriorating situation in the Taiwan Strait has sparked a diplomatic firestorm, with China lashing out at countries criticizing its drills and some regional powers calling for a de-escalation. Tensions mounted at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers' meeting this week in Cambodia, where members had originally hoped to discuss three main issues: the crisis in Myanmar, the South China Sea and the war in Ukraine. to heated discussions on cross-strait relations," Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said at a news conference in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended ASEAN meeting; On Thursday, Wang slammed Pelosi's visit as a demonstration of the "bankruptcy" of US policy and credibility, calling it "manic, irresponsible and highly irrational behavior." overreacting and using Speaker Pelosis' visit as an excuse to step up provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait."
On Saturday, Sokhonn described the meeting as lively and said he must call on all ministers to speak in a calm, dignified, polite, civilized and diplomatic manner. "There were strong arguments, but in our opinion it is much better if we exchange ideas." than less friendly media,” he said.Beijing has not followed these calls. Instead, he responded by canceling future phone calls between Chinese and American defense leaders and the annual naval meetings between the two countries. It also canceled scheduled meetings between Chinese and Japanese officials.
China also summoned the ambassadors of the United States, Japan and several European countries.
On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced a series of countermeasures against the US, including sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family.China has also suspended bilateral climate talks and put cooperation on hold on issues such as repatriating illegal immigrants and investigating cross-border crime and drug operations. he told reporters on Saturday in Manila, capital of the Philippines. United States, he added.