2023-08-19 05:29:23
It would be the response to the visit of the vice president of Taiwan, William Lai, to the United States
The Chinese military conducted a joint air exercise (joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force) around the island of Taiwan to test the “armed forces’ ability to operate under real combat conditions.” As command spokesman Shi Yi explained, “Such patrols and drills serve as a stark reminder of Taiwan’s pro-independence separatists’ collusion with foreign elements and their provocations.”
This is, according to the Reuters agency, a widely expected response to the visit of Taiwan’s vice president William Lai to the United States. Lai, the frontrunner to be the next president in January’s election, returned Friday from the United States, where he officially only made stopovers en route to and from Paraguay, though he has given speeches while in the country. “This is a serious warning against Taiwan’s separatist pro-independence forces colluding with outside forces to provoke.”
Taiwan’s irritation is strong. The Defense Ministry strongly condemned Beijing’s “irrational and provocative behavior” and said it “will send adequate forces to respond to it in order to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
August 19, 2023 (change August 19, 2023 | 05:44)
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