China conducted several military exercises around Taiwan. (Representative)
Beijing:
Al Jazeera reported that China staged a “strike drill” around Taiwan’s airspace on Sunday and said it was conducted in response to provocations from the autonomous island and the US.
In a brief statement, the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said it had conducted “joint combat readiness patrols and joint firepower strike drills” around Taiwan. The exact location was not specified.
“This is a firm response to the current escalation of collusion and provocation from the United States and Taiwan,” it said and added that theater forces will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Al Jazeera.
Reacting to the situation, Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, said Sunday’s exercise demonstrated Beijing’s assault on regional peace and an attempt to intimidate Taiwanese people, according to Al Jazeera.
“The Chinese Communist’s ‘military intimidation’ actions are clearly aimed at intimidating our people and are not conducive to [China’s] international image,” Al Jazeera reported, citing a statement from Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. It further added that Taiwan will continue to boost its military.
Pelosi’s visit, which became the highest level of US visits to Taiwan in more than two decades, heavily infuriated China and the communist nation warned the US that it would “pay a price”.
The US House Speaker’s visit to the self-ruled island not only escalated US-China tensions but also escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Pelosi was the first Speaker of the House to visit Taiwan in 25 years since Newt Gingrich in 1997.
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement with foreign governments by Taiwanese officials, announced a series of military exercises around the island, issued a series of stern statements, and Pelosi US Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns was also summoned to protest against the visit. Taiwan.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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