The Taiwan Defence Ministry discovered as many as 24 Chinese planes and six boats close to its territory on Friday, two days after China stopped its extensive military exercises close to the self-governing island.
“24 PLA planes and six PLAN boats were spotted flying in the area today, August 12, 2022, up to 1700 (GMT+8). The situation has been closely watched by the #ROCArmedForces, who have replied with CAP planes, navy ships, and land-based missile systems “The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense tweeted this.
In defiance of Beijing, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and Beijing began holding massive military drills while threatening to annex the autonomous island. China claimed on Wednesday that its military exercises simulating an invasion on the island had come to an end after more than a week of training in close proximity to Taiwan.
According to reports from the state-run Global Times, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command claimed that recent manoeuvres in and around Taiwan had successfully evaluated the troops’ ability to engage in joint operations.
The Chinese military announced that it would routinely arrange patrols in the Taiwan Strait to ensure combat readiness.
After the PLA announced it would stop the drills, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it was still on high alert due to the Chinese threat.
ROC ArmedForces will adjust how we deploy our forces taking into account various factors including troop morale and threats without letting our guard down, the ministry said in an earlier tweet. “While PLA Eastern Theater announced that they have finished their joint military operation and will conduct routine patrol,” the ministry said in a separate tweet.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu claimed on Tuesday that China was using the military exercises to affect how freely people can travel through the Taiwan Strait’s skies and waters as well as to get ready for an invasion.
According to Joseph Wu, China’s decision to conduct military drills in areas close to Taiwan constitutes a serious threat to regional peace and security and a flagrant infringement of Taiwan’s rights under international law.
China on Tuesday justified its extensive military exercises and airspace breaches in the East and South China Seas by claiming that following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the nation is now preparing for every conceivable contingency.
Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, stated that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a serious provocation that has improved US-Taiwan relations and poses a serious threat to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that China must be ready for any eventuality.
