The day after the return of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen from USA, Chinese The armed forces have announced that they are starting a three-day military exercise around the island today.

China will conduct “alert patrols” and exercises in the Taiwan Strait area and north, south and east of Taiwan “as planned,” the statement said.

It is noted that the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan today recorded eight Chinese warships and 42 military aircraft around the island.

“Irrational Actions”

29 planes crossed the median line separating China from Taiwan, the ministry said, condemning the “absurd actions.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said earlier today after China announced a three-day military exercise around the island that it would respond calmly, rationally and with a serious attitude, without escalating clashes or provoking conflict.

China used Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States as an excuse to conduct exercises, the ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese military began a three-day military exercise in the Taiwan Strait today amid escalating tensions with the island after President Tsai Ing-wen met in the US with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The exercise “serves as a strong warning against collusion and provocative actions between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and outside forces,” Chinese military spokesman Xi Yi warned in a statement.

A live-fire exercise will take place on Monday in the Taiwan Strait off the coast of east China’s Fujian province, the province opposite the island, local naval authorities said.

“authoritarian expansionism”

For her part, Taiwan’s president said her country was facing “authoritarian expansionism” from China.

“In recent years, we have faced constant authoritarian expansionism,” Tsai said, adding that Taiwan “will continue to work with the US and other countries (…) to uphold the values ​​of freedom and democracy.”

Taiwan’s people love democracy and strive for peace, the island’s president also said, adding that she looks forward to further strengthening security cooperation with the United States.

On Wednesday, Tsai met with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, infuriating Beijing, which sees Taiwan as a Chinese province destined to be reunited with the mainland, even by force if necessary.

In August 2022, following a visit by Nancy Pelosi (McCarthy’s predecessor) to Taiwan, China held multi-day military exercises around the island.

^{Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.}