China announces military exercises in the Taiwan Strait | world

China announced on Saturday (8) that it will hold three days of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese respond to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week.

The People’s Liberation Army of China published a statement saying that it will, from April 8 to 10, organize a combat readiness exercise with the Taiwan Strait, in the northern and southern parts of the island and in the eastern airspace of the island. .

Even before this announcement of the military exercises, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that it had spotted 13 aircraft and three Chinese military vessels around the island in recent days.

China considers the island of Taiwan a rebellious province and part of Chinese territory and says it is ready to take it back, even by force if necessary.

Under the “one China” principle, the Chinese government does not allow any country to establish diplomatic relations with China and Taiwan at the same time.

Only 13 countries in the world recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty.

The US government has long maintained “strategic ambiguity” on the issue, a doctrine intended to deter China from invading Taiwan and to prevent the island’s leaders from provoking Beijing by declaring independence.

China’s Xinhua news agency reported that shortly after the Taiwanese president met with the speaker of the US House of Representatives, China promised to give a firm response.

“In response to the grossly wrong acts of collusion between the United States and Taiwan, China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the foreign ministry said in a note released by Xinhua.