TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) 鈥 An unusually large number of Chinese military ships, planes and drones entered airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan between Sunday and Monday, the self-governing island republic's Defense Ministry said.
said the drills were a response to recent statements and actions by the U.S. and Taiwan.
The ministry on Tuesday published on its social media several images of Chinese drones and ships and said 43 out of 59 of them entered Taiwan鈥檚 air defense identification zone but that no confrontations were reported. Taiwan monitored the situation and deployed aircraft, navy ships and coastal anti-ship missile defenses in response, the ministry said.
China on a daily basis in hopes of wearing down Taiwanese defenses and morale, although the vast majority of the island鈥檚 23 million people reject Beijing's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan and its threat to use force to assert its control.
It鈥檚 unclear what prompted the large Chinese deployment. Daily figures often vary widely based on statements by the Taiwanese authorities or their U.S. partners.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday the drills were 鈥渁 resolute response to foreign connivance and support to Taiwan independence, and a serious warning to Taiwan separatist forces.鈥
China鈥檚 military actions are 鈥渘ecessary, legal and justified measures to defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,鈥 Mao said.
鈥淚n particular, the United States that reflected the one-China principle and that did not support Taiwan independence on the website of the U.S. Department of State, which indicates wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces,鈥 Mao was quoted as saying.
Taiwanese also raised Beijing's hackles last week that Taiwan law designates mainland China as a 鈥渇oreign hostile force鈥 and said tougher measures were being taken to prevent Chinese subversion through the media and civic exchanges. Lai also warned of the danger of influential figures and current and retired military members selling secrets to China.
The Taiwan Strait is an international body of water and one of the most important channels for global trade. While China does not interfere with civilian shipping in the Strait 鈥 or in the South China Sea to the south that it claims almost in its entirety 鈥 it routinely objects to actions by the U.S. and other foreign navies in the area.
China on Saturday by top diplomats from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies who said Beijing is endangering maritime safety.
The G7 had said in a joint statement: 鈥淲e condemn China鈥檚 illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose.鈥
China called the G7 statement 鈥渇illed with arrogance, prejudice and malicious intentions.鈥
Faced with the rising threat from China, new missiles, aircraft and other armaments from the U.S., while revitalizing its own defense industry with submarines and other key items.
