To deter US, China holds ‘combat readiness patrol’ around Taiwan
BEIJING: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday announced the third largescale military exercise around the self-ruled island of Taiwan in less than a month, calling it a “combat readiness patrol” against what it says is “collusion” between Taipei and Washington.
“This is a necessary action against the Us-taiwan collusion,” the PLA’S eastern theatre command said, announcing the exercise, and adding that it is putting Taiwan in a “dangerous position”.
While the PLA did not release details of the exercise, the formal announcement of the drill came a day after more than 30 Chinese fighter aircraft violated Taiwan’s airspace.
The Taiwanese air force scrambled its own jets following the incursion.
Chinese state-run media connected Wednesday’s exercise with the visit of US Senator Tammy Duckworth to Taiwan during which President Tsai Ing-wen said that a cooperation plan between the US National Guard and Taiwan’s armed forces was in the works, further roiling Beijing.
China claims the democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military drills around the island of around 23 million people. Beijing blames the US for ratcheting up tension over Taiwan by selling arms to the island, sending officials to engage with its leadership and pledging to protect in case of a war with China.
Biden, Ardern comment on Xinjiang, HK, Taiwan
China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed a joint statement by the leaders of the US and New Zealand that expressed “grave concerns” on human rights violations in Xinjiang and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong.
In their statement, United States President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also said they would encourage the peaceful resolution of all cross-strait issues.
Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are China’s internal affairs, said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.