Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Taiwan's foreign minister claimed on Tuesday that China was using the military exercises it started ...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Taiwan's foreign minister claimed on Tuesday that China was using the military exercises it started as a show of force against Nancy Pelosi's visit as part of a strategy to be ready to invade the autonomous island.
At a press appearance in Taipei, Joseph Wu did not provide a timeline for a potential invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
Even as the drills persisted and China frequently crossed the unofficial median line down the Taiwan Strait, he declared that Taiwan would not be intimidated.
According to Wu, "China has used the exercises in its military playbook to be ready for the invasion of Taiwan."
In an effort to lower public morale in Taiwan, it carries out massive military drills, launches missiles, and engages in cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic coercion.
Wu warned that China might attempt to regularise its actions after the drills are over in an effort to upset the long-term status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Wu urged increased international support to prevent China from effectively dominating the strait, saying that such actions endangered regional security and gave "a clear image of China's geostrategic intentions beyond Taiwan."
According to a Pentagon official, Washington is continuing to believe that China won't try to invade Taiwan in the next two years.
Wu spoke as military tensions remained high following the conclusion on Sunday of four days of the biggest Chinese exercises ever conducted near the island, manoeuvres that included ballistic missile launches and simulated sea and air raids in the skies and waters surrounding Taiwan.
Asserting that Beijing will continue to put pressure on Taiwan's defences, China's Eastern Theatre Command stated on Monday that it would hold new joint drills focused on anti-submarine and sea assault operations. This confirms the suspicions of some security analysts and diplomats.
Reuters was informed on Tuesday of a continuous "standoff" involving roughly 10 vessels from China and Taiwan, according to a person familiar with security preparations in the areas near Taiwan.
The individual stated that China "continued to try to press in to the middle line." The international waterways have been under constant threat from Taiwanese soldiers.
China cut off some channels of communication with the United States, including conversations on climate change and theater-level military talks, as Pelosi left the area last Friday.
On Tuesday, Taiwan began its own lengthy drills by launching howitzer artillery into the ocean from the southern county of Pingtung.
In his first public remarks on the subject since Pelosi's visit, U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Monday that while he was concerned about China's actions in the area, he was not concerned about Taiwan.
When alluding to China, Biden told reporters in Delaware, "I'm afraid they are moving as much as they are." However, I don't believe they will go beyond what they have already done.
According to Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, American military operations over the Taiwan Strait will continue in the coming weeks.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China was conducting routine military drills "in our waters" in an open, transparent, and professional manner and reiterated that Taiwan was a part of China. China has never ruled out annexing Taiwan by force.
China's claims of sovereignty are rejected by Taiwan, which maintains that only the residents of the island can determine its future.
