The United States Condemned China’s Provocative Military Actions Near Taiwan: “We Urge You to Stop Your Pressure”

The United States attacked China on Sunday for its “provocative” and “destabilizing” military activity, a day after Chinese fighter jets and bombers made their biggest foray into the air defense zone of Taiwan.

The Chinese military flew more than 16 fighter jets in waters south of Taiwan on Sunday as the United States worried about what it called China’s “provocative military action” near the autonomous island claimed by China.

Previously, China sent 38 fighter jets to the region on Friday and 39 planes on Saturday, the most in a single day since Taiwan began publishing flight reports in September 2020. The flights took place on day and night departures, and it was not clear whether China was planning more flights on Sunday night.

In a statement from the United States Department of State, spokesman Ned Price warned that China’s military activity near Taiwan risks miscalculating and undermines regional peace and stability. “We urge Beijing to end its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan“He added.

He also noted that the United States, which is Taiwan’s biggest arms supplier, would continue to help the government maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities. “The United States’ commitment to Taiwan is strong and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region.“, noted.

China has frequently sent military planes to southern Taiwan for over a year. Taiwan’s defense ministry said 12 fighters and four other military planes entered the air defense identification area on Sunday.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of World time, a newspaper dependent on the official People’s Daily, said on Twitter yesterday: “These planes appearing in the Taiwan Strait are a new ceremony for the Chinese people to celebrate the holidays. If the Taiwanese authorities continue their provocations, there will be more planes on National Day next year”. The number of Chinese military planes entering Taiwan’s ADIZ has increased in recent months, according to island officials.

On September 24, Taiwan reported that 24 Chinese fighter jets carried out sorties similar to yesterday shortly after Taiwan applied to join the Comprehensive and Comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), which Beijing did opposes. “categorically”.

China and Taiwan were separated in 1949 in a civil war in which the Communists took control of mainland China and rival nationalists established a government in Taiwan, an island of 24 million people located in about 160 km from the east coast.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, where Chinese nationalists retreated after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. For Beijing, the island is a rebel province for the reunification of which it does not exclude the use of force.

(With AFP, AP and EFE information)

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