China has begun three days of military exercises around Taiwan amid anger in Beijing over Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen\u2019s meeting in California with the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy.
\nChina, which claims Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its aims, will hold \u201ccombat readiness patrols\u201d until April 10, the People\u2019s Liberation Army\u2019s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a brief statement on Saturday.
\nAccording to international media reports, the drills, dubbed United Sharp Sword, involve exercises in the Taiwan Strait to the north and south of the island as well as in the sea and airspace to its east.
\n\u201cThis is a serious warning to the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces\u2019 collusion and provocation, and it is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,\u201d the PLA said.
\nBeijing had threatened retaliation even before the meeting took place. The Shandong aircraft carrier was spotted sailing through Taiwan\u2019s southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific hours before the meeting was scheduled on Wednesday.
\nTaiwan\u2019s Defence Ministry said it was monitoring the situation and would respond appropriately to defend the island\u2019s security.
\nChina was using Tsai\u2019s US visit \u201cas an excuse to carry out military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security\u201d, the ministry said in a statement.
\n\u201cThe military will respond with a calm, rational and serious attitude, and will stand guard and monitor in accordance with the principles of \u2018not escalating nor disputes\u2019 to defend national sovereignty and national security.\u201d
\nOn Friday, Beijing announced tightened sanctions against Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan\u2019s de facto ambassador to the US, and the Ronald Reagan Library where Tsai and McCarthy met, but held back from the more overt response that followed the visit to the island last August of McCarthy\u2019s predecessor Nancy Pelosi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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