Taiwan said it was “on alert” as it detected a Chinese aircraft carrier group south of it on Sunday, days after the United States warned Beijing against taking “provocative” actions on the self-ruled island. Had given.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday warned China against taking action in response to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s speech during the island’s National Day celebrations.
China has increased military activity around Taiwan in recent years, dispatching warplanes and other military aircraft, while Chinese ships maintain an almost constant presence around its waters.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that a Chinese Liaoning aircraft carrier group has entered the Bashi Channel, a waterway that separates the island from the Philippines, “and is likely to proceed to the western Pacific”.
“Taiwan’s military is employing joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to closely monitor related activities and is on alert, ready to respond as needed,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, China’s military released a video on Sunday saying it was “ready for battle”, the caption of which included a small map of Taiwan.
Videos posted on the social media channels of the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command showed missiles, jets, helicopters and warships. The post said China’s military was “ready for war at any time”.
Taiwanese and US officials warned of possible Chinese military exercises in response to Lai’s speech.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important supporter and largest supplier of arms, but does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.
‘Resist interference’
Lai, who took office in May, has been more vocal than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls him a “separatist.”
In his speech on Thursday, Lai vowed to “resist the occupation” of the island and stressed that Beijing and Taipei are “not subservient to each other”.
China warned after the speech that Lai’s “provocations” would result in “disaster” for the people of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s National Day was observed on Thursday to mark the 113th anniversary of the overthrow of China’s Qing dynasty and the subsequent establishment of the Republic of China – which remains Taiwan’s official name.
The current dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to a civil war in which Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters in 1949 and fled to Taiwan.
Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party has long defended the sovereignty and democracy of Taiwan, which has its own government, military and currency.
Beijing has sought to erase Taipei from the international arena, blocking it from global forums and cornering its diplomatic allies.
China has held three rounds of large-scale war games over the past two years, deploying aircraft and ships to surround the island.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight navy ships were detected around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
