On Saturday, Taiwan activated aircraft, naval responses and its missile systems after detecting 11 Chinese planes and warships near the island.
The Taipei Ministry of Defense announced that two Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warships and nine aircraft were found in and around the Taiwan Strait, including one that crossed the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). .
Taiwan Air Force Mirage fighter jets taxi on a runway at an air base in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Friday, August 5, 2022.
(AP Photo/Johnson Lai)
G7 BINDS MAIN ADVERSARIES AND URGES UN LEADERS FOR PEACE RUSSIA AND CHINA
China has been conducting war games in the region for months, though its latest deployment of military forces to the area comes just days after senior PLA officials said the army was “on full-time standby” for war. in the Strait, the South China Morning Post first reported. Saturday.
The ominous message followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s orders last month to “completely upgrade training and preparation for war.”
“We must be fully prepared to respond to external interference and major incidents related to Taiwan independence through non-peaceful means and other necessary measures, always maintain a high state of readiness, and be ready for war at all times,” said the head of the Central Military Commission’s investigative bureau, Maj. Gen. Liu Yantong, wrote in a report issued to the Chinese Communist Party congress.
Another senior official reportedly said China’s forces would be “determined” to crush any attempts by Taipei to seek independence or from foreign interference.
In this photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a member of the People’s Liberation Army looks through binoculars during military exercises as Taiwan’s Lan Yang frigate is seen in the rear, Friday, August 5, 2022.
(Lin Jian/Xinhua via AP)
US SENDING B-52 BOMBER TO AUSTRALIA ON THE MOVE CHINA WARNS COULD ‘TRIGGER’ ARMS RACE
The top Democratic leaders of the G7 issued a joint statement on Friday warning China not to upset the regional “status quo”.
“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in and around the East and South China seas. We strongly oppose any move that would increase tensions and undermine regional stability,” they said, referring to China’s naval force posture.
Taiwan identifies itself as a sovereign nation with democratic values, but is officially recognized by China, the United Nations, and the US as part of the One China policy.
Chinese military helicopters fly over Pingtan Island, one of the closest points from mainland China to Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022, ahead of massive military exercises off Taiwan following the visit of the president of the House of Representatives of the United States, Nancy Pelosi, to the autonomous island.
(HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Top G7 diplomats pledged their commitment to the one-China policy, but called on China to “refrain from threats, coercion, intimidation or use of force.”
“We strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion,” they added.
