Taiwanese Foreign Ministry Considers Chinese Military Drills Dangerous Provocation

BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2022) Taipei considers the new military exercises of the Chinese army after another visit of US officials to the island a dangerous provocation that may undermine regional stability and become an obstacle for commercial activities in the Indo-Pacific region, the Taiwanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

A high-level delegation of US congressmen arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that US officials' visit to the island violates China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"It is absurd for China to use this as a pretext for carrying out dangerous military provocations," the ministry said in a statement.

It may further undermine regional stability and become an obstacle to extremely important sea routes and commercial activities in the Indo-Pacific region, the ministry also said, calling the Chinese military activities "illegal and irresponsible.

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Taipei warned Beijing about the necessity of an "immediate cessation of the regional escalation," and called for condemning the Chinese "irrational" military activities in the Taiwan Strait.

China had repeatedly opposed visits of senior US officials to the island, as it considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contacts with Taipei. The visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island in early August triggered a new round of tensions in the Taiwan Strait and another wave of Chinese sanctions against Taiwan. Moreover, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island, which included live-fire drills and military aircraft overflights close to Taiwan's airspace.