On Saturday, China began conducting military drills around Taiwan as a “stern warning” after expressing displeasure over the island’s vice president, William Lai, visiting the United States.
Lai, the front-runner in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, visited New York before visiting to Paraguay, one of the few countries left that still recognise Taipei internationally, and then returned through San Francisco.
Lai has been referred to by China as a “troublemaker,” and the country has threatened to take “firm steps to protect national sovereignty.”
According to military spokesperson Shi Yi, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command “started joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan” on Saturday.
According to Xinhua, the drills were designed to evaluate the PLA’s capacity “to seize control of air and sea spaces” and battle “in real combat conditions”.
They also were intended to serve as “a stern warning to the collusion of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists with foreign elements and their provocations”, it added.
China claims Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to seize it.
Major military drills were started after President Tsai Ing-wen met with key US politicians while travelling around the US and when Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, visited Taiwan last year.
Washington has urged restraint in regards to Lai’s transit, portraying it as regular.
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