In video: The Chinese army concludes the first day of the military exercise against Taiwan.
Photo: Chinese Army
Taiwan’s defense minister announced today (Friday) that Chinese planes and warships crossed the maritime border towards Taiwan. The minister accused the Chinese of creating a provocation, and at the same time, the military sent warnings to China.
According to him, Taiwan is ready for a confrontation, but the fighters were instructed to try to calm the spirits and not escalate the situation. At the same time, Taiwan’s military sent planes and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor the situation along the border.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, accused China of provocation and claimed that it is trying to threaten not only Taiwan, but also other neighboring countries, adding that its actions are unjustified. “China’s actions are dangerous, there is no justification for their actions.”
He defended the visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to the region, in a move that infuriated China: “The visit was for peaceful purposes, there is no justification for this extreme reaction.” In another message to the Chinese, he clarified: “We will fly, sail and operate wherever the international law Leumi allows us, we will continue to pass through the Taiwan Straits. The United States will not follow China’s lead.”
Blinken added that the US “fear that Beijing’s actions will destabilize the entire region. We stand in solidarity with Japan and our allies.” According to Blinken, “the US has told China time and time again that it is not looking for a crisis.”