China has initiated military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan as a “severe warning,” according to state media, after protesting against a stopover in the United States by the island’s vice president.
William Lai, a favorite in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election and a staunch opponent of Beijing’s claims over the island, returned on Friday from a trip to Paraguay during which he made stops in New York and San Francisco.
China reacted angrily to these American stopovers and reiterated on Saturday that Mr. Lai was a “troublemaker,” promising “severe warnings to the collusion of ‘Taiwanese separatist + independence’ elements with foreign forces and their provocations.”
“The command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command launched joint air and maritime patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan on Saturday,” wrote the official agency Xinhua, citing army spokesperson Shi Yi.
Taiwan reported detecting 42 Chinese military aircraft incursions into its air defense identification zone “since 09:00 (01:00 GMT)” on Saturday, adding that eight Chinese ships also participated in the maneuvers.
Among these incursions, 26 warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the island’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
According to Xinhua, these maneuvers are intended to test the capability of Chinese ships and aircraft “to control airspace and maritime areas” and to fight “under real conditions.”
Taiwan strongly condemned “this irrational and provocative behavior” and promised to send “appropriate forces to respond… to defend the freedom, democracy, and sovereignty of Taiwan.”
“The conduct of military exercises… under a false pretext not only does not contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait but also highlights the (Chinese) militaristic mentality and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Saturday.
– “New provocation” –
Washington had called for calm regarding Mr. Lai’s trip, which according to Taiwanese authorities was only a “transit” through American soil before heading to Paraguay to attend the inauguration of President-elect Santiago Peña.
But on Saturday, an official from the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office “strongly condemned” Mr. Lai’s trip, calling it a “new provocation” aimed at “strengthening collusion with the United States,” according to Xinhua.
“The latest ‘stopover’ by Mr. Lai… was a disguise he used to sell Taiwan’s interests in order to gain advantages in local elections through dishonest maneuvers,” the official said, according to the same article.
“Mr. Lai’s actions have proven that he is a true troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the brink of war and cause serious problems for Taiwanese compatriots,” the statement continued.
China opposes any official contact between Western countries and Taiwan, which it considers one of its provinces.
Mr. Lai has received the nomination of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to run for the presidency in 2024 and succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, whose second term will end by then.
Beijing-Taipei relations have deteriorated since Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, with Beijing intensifying political and military pressure on the archipelago in recent years.
Chinese military aircraft regularly make incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
The ADIZ, which should not be confused with a country’s airspace, encompasses a much larger area in which any foreign aircraft is supposed to identify itself to local aviation authorities. Taiwan’s ADIZ overlaps with part of China’s and even includes a portion of the mainland.
In April, when Tsai met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China conducted three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of Taiwan.
Chinese military exercises around Taiwan during an election year have in the past been seen as favorable to candidates from Mr. Lai’s party, who are widely considered pro-Washington.
With France24