Tension in the Strait: Taiwan detected 23 planes and 5 warships of the Chinese regime in the vicinity of the island

#Tension #Strait #Taiwan #detected #planes #warships #Chinese #regime #vicinity #island
Taiwan detected 23 planes and 5 warships of the Chinese regime in the vicinity of the island (EUROPA PRESS)

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported this Thursday that it detected 23 aircraft and 5 military ships of the Chinese regime around the island after the passage of a US warship through the area.

The US Navy announced that the destroyer USS Halsey passed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, which separates mainland China from the self-governed island claimed by Beijing.

This 180-kilometer-wide strait is an important maritime trade artery, but also a regular scene of maneuvers for military aircraft and ships that Xi Jinping’s regime sends around Taiwan.

China has intensified its incursions in recent weeks, in the run-up to the May 20 inauguration of the new Taiwanese president, William Lai (Lai Ching-te), whom Beijing considers a “dangerous separatist.”

Faced with this scenario of possible aggressions, the Taiwanese Vice Minister of Defense, Po Horng-huei, announced that the island’s Army is prepared for any movement by China regarding the investiture of William Lai (Lai Ching-te)

Beijing intensified its incursions in recent weeks, in the run-up to the May 20 inauguration of the new Taiwanese president, William Lai (EFE/EPA/DANIEL CENG)

In statements to the media, Po assured that the island forces control “all intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information” in relation to possible military actions by China during the coming days.

“Our country’s Army will comply with all combat readiness requirements before and after May 20 and will pay close attention to the actions of the Chinese Communist Party that harm regional peace and stability,” said the vice minister of Defense. according to the state news agency CNA.

Po stressed that the Chinese military’s activities around the Taiwan Strait undermine the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific, turning the region into a “global concern.”

“The national Army does not fear war nor does it seek war,” Po stated.

Since the presidential elections on January 13, in which Lai won with 40% of the votes, China has intensified its pressure on Taiwan with various measures, including increasing Coast Guard patrols around the islands. Kinmen or the modification of several air routes through the strait.

The Taiwanese Vice Minister of Defense, Po Horng-huei, announced that the island’s Army is prepared for any movement by China regarding the inauguration of William Lai (REUTERS)

The movements of Chinese aircraft and warships have also been constant in recent months: the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) of Taiwan notified this Wednesday of the presence of sixteen Chinese aircraft and six military ships around the island in the last 24 hours. .

This week, the Armed Forces of the United States and the Philippines conducted a mock invasion by China near Taiwan in a series of joint military exercises held off the coast of the northwestern Philippines.

Thousands of troops joined the maneuvers, which took place amid an uptick in tension between China and the Philippines in the disputed waters of the South Sea, where several incidents have recently been recorded between Coast Guard vessels from both countries.

The maneuvers included exercises on land, sea and air, with an eye on a possible confrontation in the area, especially in relation to the Masinloac shoal and the Second Thomas sandbank, located in the Spratly Islands, according to information from the newspaper ‘ Philippine Daily Inquirer’.

US Army General Michael Cederholm noted that these maneuvers are intended to “prepare for the worst” and “guarantee the security of a vitally important maritime area.” “It is designed to repel an invasion,” he said.

The Chinese military’s activities around the Taiwan Strait undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, turning the region into a “global concern” (AP)

However, carrying out these types of maneuvers has raised complaints from China, which considers them “provocations” and claims its sovereignty over the disputed waters. “We don’t do this for third parties,” Cederholm said in relation to Taiwan. “It’s not about sending a message,” he said.

In this sense, he defended that the area chosen to carry out these activities is because it is a “perfect” area for training and improving the “interoperability capabilities” of the two countries.

(With information from EFE, AFP and Europa Press)