Taipei: The threat of force from China has not diminished but Taiwan Will not escalate conflict or instigate disputes, President sai Ing-wen said on Thursday, a source told Reuters that the number of warships in the Taiwan Strait had “been greatly reduced”.
Furious over US House of Representatives speaker’s visit to self-ruled Taiwan last week Nancy PelosicChina had earlier expanded its largest-ever exercise around the island, which it claims, beyond the originally scheduled four days.
China’s military said on Wednesday it had “completed various tasks” around Taiwan but would conduct regular patrols, signaling a possible end to days of war, but also that Beijing would keep pressure on the island.
Last week’s Chinese exercises included the launch of ballistic missiles, some of which flew over the island’s capital, Taipei, and simulated sea and air strikes in the surrounding skies and waters.
Taiwan is also holding relatively small-scale, annual exercises, scheduled ahead of escalation in tensions and aimed at preparing its forces to repel the invasion. Tsai visited the Air Force Headquarters on Thursday to talk to the officers.
“At present, the threat of Chinese military force has not diminished,” Tsai told officials, according to a statement from his office.
Her office said Tsai re-emphasized that Taiwan would neither escalate conflicts nor stir up disputes.
“We will firmly defend our sovereignty and national security, and follow the line of defense of democracy and freedom.”
As of Thursday afternoon, no more than 10 Chinese and Taiwanese navy ships remained close to the midline of the Taiwan Strait, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, adding that number was “very low” compared to the previous days.
Several Chinese Navy ships were conducting missions off Taiwan’s east coast and near Japan’s Yonaguni Island, said a source familiar with the security plan in areas near Taiwan.
Yonaguni is the closest Japanese island to Taiwan, about 100 km (62 mi) from Taiwan.
Several Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the unofficial buffer separating China and Taiwan on Thursday, the person said.
overpressure
Tsai acknowledged that Taiwan’s military was under pressure.
“In the face of China’s recent military provocation, the country’s armed forces are on the front lines, and its duties will only become more difficult and the pressure will be even greater,” she said.
China’s military did not comment on Thursday on its military activity around Taiwan.
However, both sides continued their war, with Taiwan reiterating its rejection of China’s proposed “one country, two systems” model of bringing the island under Beijing’s control.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joan Ou told a news conference in Taipei that only the people of Taiwan can decide its future.
Ou said China was using Pelosi’s visit to Taipei as “an excuse to create a new normalcy to intimidate the Taiwanese people”.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that “achieving the complete reunification of the homeland” was an unstoppable historical trend.
“We are willing to create a wide space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for all kinds of separatist activities for Taiwan’s independence.”
China maintains that its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and reserves the right to bring the island under its control by force if necessary.
Taiwan has been under threat of Chinese invasion since 1949 when the Nationalist government of the defeated Republic of China fled to the island after Mao Zedong’s Communist Party won the civil war.
Furious over US House of Representatives speaker’s visit to self-ruled Taiwan last week Nancy PelosicChina had earlier expanded its largest-ever exercise around the island, which it claims, beyond the originally scheduled four days.
China’s military said on Wednesday it had “completed various tasks” around Taiwan but would conduct regular patrols, signaling a possible end to days of war, but also that Beijing would keep pressure on the island.
Last week’s Chinese exercises included the launch of ballistic missiles, some of which flew over the island’s capital, Taipei, and simulated sea and air strikes in the surrounding skies and waters.
Taiwan is also holding relatively small-scale, annual exercises, scheduled ahead of escalation in tensions and aimed at preparing its forces to repel the invasion. Tsai visited the Air Force Headquarters on Thursday to talk to the officers.
“At present, the threat of Chinese military force has not diminished,” Tsai told officials, according to a statement from his office.
Her office said Tsai re-emphasized that Taiwan would neither escalate conflicts nor stir up disputes.
“We will firmly defend our sovereignty and national security, and follow the line of defense of democracy and freedom.”
As of Thursday afternoon, no more than 10 Chinese and Taiwanese navy ships remained close to the midline of the Taiwan Strait, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, adding that number was “very low” compared to the previous days.
Several Chinese Navy ships were conducting missions off Taiwan’s east coast and near Japan’s Yonaguni Island, said a source familiar with the security plan in areas near Taiwan.
Yonaguni is the closest Japanese island to Taiwan, about 100 km (62 mi) from Taiwan.
Several Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the unofficial buffer separating China and Taiwan on Thursday, the person said.
overpressure
Tsai acknowledged that Taiwan’s military was under pressure.
“In the face of China’s recent military provocation, the country’s armed forces are on the front lines, and its duties will only become more difficult and the pressure will be even greater,” she said.
China’s military did not comment on Thursday on its military activity around Taiwan.
However, both sides continued their war, with Taiwan reiterating its rejection of China’s proposed “one country, two systems” model of bringing the island under Beijing’s control.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joan Ou told a news conference in Taipei that only the people of Taiwan can decide its future.
Ou said China was using Pelosi’s visit to Taipei as “an excuse to create a new normalcy to intimidate the Taiwanese people”.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that “achieving the complete reunification of the homeland” was an unstoppable historical trend.
“We are willing to create a wide space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for all kinds of separatist activities for Taiwan’s independence.”
China maintains that its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and reserves the right to bring the island under its control by force if necessary.
Taiwan has been under threat of Chinese invasion since 1949 when the Nationalist government of the defeated Republic of China fled to the island after Mao Zedong’s Communist Party won the civil war.