Taiwan tensions rise with Chinese military exercises
The Chinese army began joint exercises around Taiwan on Thursday morning, according to Chinese state media. This came just two days after the inauguration of the new president of Taiwan.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) began joint military exercises around Taiwan starting at 3:45 AM (7:45 PM Eastern Time), as reported by Xinhua news.
According to the news agency, the exercises are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait, to the north, south, and east of Taiwan, as well as in areas around the Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin islands.
In response, "Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense stated that it 'strongly condemns such irrational provocations and actions that undermine peace and stability in the region,'" reported AFP.
"We have deployed navy, air, and ground forces to defend the freedom, democracy, and sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan)," it added.
Taiwan with a new president
China's actions come just two days after the inauguration of the new president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te. On Tuesday, China criticized the president's inaugural speech given the day before, describing it as "Taiwan declaring its support for independence."
"This speech can be described as a declaration of support for Taiwan's independence and could lead to retaliation in the future," stated the Chinese Government Taiwan Affairs Office on Tuesday.
"Taiwanese separatists will go down in history on the shameful side," commented Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.
"I want to call on China to stop politically and militarily intimidating Taiwan; we also want to announce to the world that Taiwan will not compromise on issues of democracy and freedom," said Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Monday.
The Chinese side, which in previous months had described Lai as a "separatist," characterized his latest statements as a "dangerous" signal that does not contribute to regional stability.
