China announced on Monday that it has organized new military exercises around Taiwan, where a delegation from the American Congress is currently on a visit.
by (with AFP)
China announced on Monday August 15, having organized new military exercises around Taiwan, where five American parliamentarians are currently visiting, two weeks after the arrival of Nancy Pelosi, openly denounced by Beijing. The Chinese army thus declared in a press release:
“On August 15, the command of the Oriental theater of the People’s Army of Chinese Liberation organized a multi -service joint combat preparation patrol and combat exercises in the sea and the airspace around Taiwan.”
New maneuvers constitute “a solemn deterrence against the United States and Taiwan who continue to play political tricks and undermine peace and stability through the Strait of Taiwan,” said Shi Yi, -Prop of the command of the eastern theater of the Chinese army, promising to “resolutely defend national sovereignty”.
In its daily point, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said Sunday that it had detected twenty-two planes and six Chinese ships operating near the Strait. Eleven of the planes have exceeded the midline, an unofficial demarcation between Taiwan and China that Beijing does not recognize.
a military response to the visit of American parliamentarians
These new military maneuvers of China occur while a delegation of the American Congress – made up of a senator and four representatives of the Parliament, Democrats and a Republican – arrived in Taipei on Sunday evening to meet this Monday the president of the island, tsai ing-wen, before a reception organized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A visit welcomed in a statement by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for whom American elected officials “thus demonstrate a friendship that is not frightened by threats from China and underlines the resolved support of the United States towards Taiwan “. This visit, which had not been announced, relates to trade, security of the region and climate change, according to the American institute in Taiwan.
However, it occurs after the arrival of representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on this island claimed by the Chinese authorities. Angry, China had responded to this visit by military maneuvers, the most important ever made by Beijing around Taiwan.
The Chinese army had deployed warships, missiles and fighter planes by simulating a blockade from the island, in particular. For his part, Taipei had accused China of having taken the pretext of the visit of M me pelosi to train in an invasion. In response, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to the region.