China is reportedly responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California a few days ago.
It is being reported that China is responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California this past week by starting military drills around Taiwan.
Zerohedge reports:
China has begun three days of military drills around Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait as its direct response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California held days ago.
Parts of the drills are expected to extend up to 12 days. WSJ notes that this is what greeted the return of Tsai to her home: “Hours after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taiwan on Friday night, Chinese maritime safety authorities said the country’s navy planned to conduct seven live-fire exercises over the course of 12 days off the coast of Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, starting Saturday morning.”
While the Wednesday meeting with McCarthy was presented by the allies as a show of democratic solidarity, Beijing had warned of “resolute measures” while deploying an aircraft carrier strike group off the self-ruled island’s coast.
Early Saturday, China launched live-fire “combat readiness patrols” until April 10, according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command. The drills are called United Sharp Sword and expand in scope from the north to south of the island, utilizing air and sea, particularly airspace to Taiwan’s east, the statement indicated.
The drills have already involved on Saturday a whopping 71 Chinese military aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, Reuters confirms.
New video on the first day of PLA encirclement drills around the island of Taiwan includes participation of:
-J-16 fighter jets
-Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft
-H-6K bombers
-Type 054A frigates
-DF-15 conventional ballistic missiles https://t.co/HKYnyMoFe8 pic.twitter.com/aU46GKptIK— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 8, 2023
In December, China sent 71 jets on a military drill near Taiwan as well. We’re not sure why they stick to the number of 71 military jets.
China Does It Again – Sends 27 Aircraft Into Taiwan’s Air Defense Zone
China also this past week also sanctioned two outfits involved in the meeting between Speaker McCarthy and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday the Washington-headquartered think tank Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California would be banned from any cooperation, exchange or transaction with institutions and individuals in China.
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