Nancy Pelosi visit to Taiwan: More than 20 Chinese fighter jets have entered Taiwan’s airspace amid US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the nation. Earlier, the Chinese Defense Ministry said its military was placed on high alert and would launch a “targeted military operation” in response to US House Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army said separately that it would conduct joint military operations near Taiwan from Tuesday night.
The Defense Ministry did not provide details about what the targeted military operations would include, or if they were separate from the exercises announced by the Eastern Theater Command.
As Nancy Pelosi’s plane landed, Chinese state media reported that her military jets were crossing the Taiwan Strait. However, Taiwan has denied any such action.
China, which views Taiwan as a separate province that will one day be reunited with its mainland, previously warned that its armed forces “will not stand idly by”.
In his statement, Pelosi said: “America’s solidarity with Taiwan’s 23 million people is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”