There are no signs of relaxation around Taiwan. Beijing announced that military maneuvers around the island would “continue,” with a focus on joint “submarine and naval strikes.” In the last few hours, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that as of 5 p.m. local time, 10 ships and 45 planes belonging to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had been spotted in the island’s airspace. Sixteen of the planes spotted were flying east of the Taiwan Strait centerline, the ministry added. Taipei Armed Forces monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft, military ships, and ground-launched missile systems.
According to Beijing, speaking through Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Webin, the drills are “transparent, professional and respect national and international laws.” The goal – he explained – was to “warn the provocateurs”. The reference is obviously to the US and to the visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that sparked the reaction in Beijing. “It was his decision,” affirmed Joe Biden from the USA. At the same time, however, the US President said he “fears” these moves but is not “concerned” about China’s aggressive actions. “I don’t think they will do anything else,” he said.
On the island, the state of alert is at maximum. According to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, China is “deliberately” stepping up its military threats, “unilaterally” undermining both the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and regional security. Along with the “stronger punishment,” Taiwanese authorities called on the Beijing government to “act with common sense” by “immediately” stopping “provocative actions” that “unreasonably threaten the Taiwanese people.” The will of the island is ironclad: to “firmly” defend its sovereignty and national security. In addition, Taiwan issued an invitation to countries around the world to “continue to express support” by stopping “the expansion and aggression of authoritarianism.”
Speaking to CNN, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said he was “really concerned” that China could start a war “regardless of whether Nancy Pelosi visits the island” as the Chinese military threat has “always” been here. “What he’s doing right now is scaring us, and the best way to deal with that is to show them we’re not afraid,” the Taiwanese diplomatic chief said. The island’s defense ministry also condemned a “massive” fake news campaign launched by Beijing over the past week. Among the “272 attempts at disinformation” cited on social media were “an alleged missile attack on Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport and the apparent proximity of a Chinese warship to Taiwan’s east coast.”