This is the highest number of Chinese planes and ships detected around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of China, in more than three weeks. Taiwan also spotted a balloon – the fourth since Sunday – about 172 kilometers west of the island.
Intense Chinese pressure
In recent years, China has increased its military activity around the island to pressure Taipei into accepting its sovereignty claims. It deploys fighter planes, drones and warships around Taiwan almost daily.
Lai Ching-te, who openly defends Taiwan's sovereignty, leaves Saturday to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, the only Pacific nations among Taiwan's 12 remaining allies. During this tour, Lai Ching-te, in power since May, will spend two nights in Hawaii and one night in Guam, meeting “old friends” and “members of think tanks”, an undercover presidential source said. of anonymity.
Taiwanese officials have already stopped on American soil during trips to the Pacific or Latin America, arousing the anger of Chinese leaders.
Lai Ching-te's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, had already passed through Hawaii and Guam during her first official visit to her Pacific allies in 2017.
Chinese military exercise
“The Chinese (military) has the sacred mission of protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will resolutely crush all secessionist attempts for Taiwan's independence,” Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, warned on Thursday. Defense, during a press conference.
As of Thursday evening, the Taiwanese military had deployed planes, ships and coastal missile systems after detecting 19 Chinese aircraft near the island.
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