A day after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a solidarity visit to the self-governing island, China conducted its largest-ever maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, deploying dozens of planes and firing live missiles close to Taiwan.
As part of scheduled drills in six zones that are scheduled to go until noon on Sunday, China’s military reported that numerous conventional missile firings occurred in the waters around Taiwan. According to official broadcaster CCTV, it activated over 100 aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, as well as over ten vessels.
While Japan objected that five missiles seemed to land in its economic zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry claimed that it scrambled jets to warn away 22 Chinese fighter aircraft that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line into its air defense zone.
Chinese defense ministry spokeswoman: “The U.S.-Taiwan collaboration and provocation would only push Taiwan towards the brink of calamity, bringing tragedy to Taiwan compatriots.”
President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not instigate confrontations but would resolutely protect its sovereignty and national security in response to the Chinese maneuvers.
Tsai promised the people of Taiwan in a recorded video message that “Taiwan would never be brought down by obstacles.”
We will be solid and not back down because we are composed and not impulsive, reasonable and not belligerent.
For the first time since 1996, Taiwan reported that 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles had been launched in adjacent seas. Officials from Taiwan said that the exercises were illegal, invaded their territory, and jeopardized unrestricted air and sea navigation.