BEIJING/TAIPEIΜύ–ΜύChina‘s military said it had conducted “strikeΜύ»ε°ωΎ±±τ±τ²υ” in the sea and airspaceΜύ²Ή°ω΄Η³ά²Τ»εΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύon Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically-governed island and the United States.
Taiwan, whichΜύ°δ³σΎ±²Τ²ΉΜύclaims as its own territory, said theΜύ»ε°ωΎ±±τ±τ²υΒ showed Beijing was destroying regional peace and trying to cowΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²Τ‘s people.
°δ³σΎ±²Τ²ΉΜύstaged war gamesΜύ²Ή°ω΄Η³ά²Τ»εΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύin August following a visit to Taipei by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and on Saturday itΒ the United States for a new defense authorization law that boosts military assistance forΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²Τ.
In a brief statement, the Eastern Theatre Command ofΜύ°δ³σΎ±²Τ²Ή‘s People’s Liberation Army said it had carriedΜύ΄Η³ά³ΩΜύ“jointΜύ³¦΄Η³Ύ²ϊ²Ή³ΩΜύreadiness patrols and joint firepower strikeΜύ»ε°ωΎ±±τ±τ²υ“Μύ²Ή°ω΄Η³ά²Τ»εΜύTaiwan, though it did not specify the exact location.
“This is a resolute response to the current escalation of collusion and provocation from the United States andΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²Τ,” it added, with΄Η³ά³ΩΜύgiving details.
“Theatre forces will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Taiwan‘s defense ministry saidΜύ°δ³σΎ±²Τ²Ή‘s actions “onceΜύ²Ή²΅²ΉΎ±²ΤΜύhighlight its mentality of resolving differences by force and destroying regional peace and stability”.
Taiwan-US cooperation contributes to the freedom, openness, peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific, andΒ °Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύwill continue to boost its military in accordance with the enemy threat and its self-defense needs, the ministry said.
“The Chinese Communist’s ‘military intimidation’ acts are obviously aimed at cowing our people and are not conducive to (China‘s) international image,” it added.
°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύhas complained of repeated Chinese military activity nearby over the last three years or so as Beijing seeks to pressure Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty.
The United States isΜύ°Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²Τ‘s most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. US arms sales toΒ °Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύare a constant irritant in Beijing’s relations with Washington.
Taiwan‘s military is dwarfed by that of its huge neighborΜύ°δ³σΎ±²Τ²Ή. Its air force in particular has come under strain from having to repeatedly to see off Chinese incursions near the island.
The ChineseΜύ»ε°ωΎ±±τ±τ²υΒ coincided with newly-elected city mayors and county chiefs inΒ °Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύtaking up their positions following local elections on the island last month, in which the ruling Democratic Progressive Party wasΒ .
°δ³σΎ±²Τ²ΉΜύhas never renounced using force to bringΒ °Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύunder its control.Β °Υ²ΉΎ±·Ι²Ή²ΤΜύstrongly disputesΜύ°δ³σΎ±²Τ²Ή‘s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s 23 million people can decide their future. – Reuters
