Taiwan warns against ‘panic’ as China ship enters strait
TAIPEI: China’s only aircraft carrier has entered the Taiwan Strait in a highly symbolic show of strength, but Taiwan insisted Wednesday there was no
Beijing has upped its military drills near the island in recent weeks after being incensed by a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to US President-elect Donald Trump, and by a subsequent transit stop by Tsai in the US.
China considers Taiwan a break into its fold. The US is the island’s most powerful ally and main arms diplomatic relations since recognizing Beijing in 1979.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier has not entered Taiwanese waters but the island’s air defense zone, the defense ministry said.
Taiwanese media said the F-16 fighter jets and other aircraft were dispatched Tuesday night to monitor the Chinese carrier group but the defense ministry would
“The military is monitoring the whole situation and will act as necessary. We urge Taiwan’s people to be at ease,” it said in a statement.
panic,” said the chairwoman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council relationship with Beijing.
“The national security council has a good grasp of the situation. We are doing what is necessary,” Chang Hsiao-yueh told reporters at an end
capabilities to defend our country’s safety,” she added.
‘Reactive measures’
Liaoning are “symbolic” rather than any real military threat.
The Liaoning has been carrying and already passed south of Taiwan last month.
It entered the southwest of Taiwan’s GMT), the defense ministry said,
along the mainland’s coast, the ministry added.
a transit to Central America despite protests from Beijing.
She stopped in Houston on Saturday and met with Republican Senator Ted Cruz during her stay, which was slammed by Beijing as an attempt to “undermine China-US relations.”
- ras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of with Beijing.
bolster ties with allies, her US stop speculation she may make contact with Trump and his team.
Tsai has faced a mounting backlash from Beijing since she has refused to recognize that Taiwan is part of “one China.”
MAC’s Chang said Wednesday that measures” against military, diplomatic and economic actions by China since Tsai came to power.
the hopes of people on both sides to maintain peaceful and stable as free exchange and interactions,” she added.