Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te (center) watches a simulated mass casualty rescue exercise at an airforce base during an inspection of the troops as part of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills in Hualien on July 23, 2024. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP)
Taiwan said Monday it had dispatched “appropriate forces” in response to China’s announcement that it had launched military drills around the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
In a statement, Taiwan’s defense ministry condemned the “irrational and provocative behavior” and said it had “dispatched appropriate forces to respond accordingly to protect freedom and democracy, and defend the sovereignty” of Taiwan.
China’s defense ministry said Monday it had sent planes and ships around Taiwan as part of military exercises, dubbed Joint Sword-2024B, to “test the joint operations capabilities of the theater command’s troops.”
Taiwan said Sunday it had detected a Chinese aircraft carrier group to its south in the Bashi Channel, a waterway that separates the island from the Philippines, and was “likely to proceed into the western Pacific.”
It comes days after US State Secretary Antony Blinken warned China against taking action in response to a speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te during the island’s National Day celebrations.
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Lai, who took office in May, has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls him a “separatist.”
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In his speech on Thursday, Lai vowed to “resist annexation” of the island, and insisted Beijing and Taipei were “not subordinate to each other.”
China warned after the speech that Lai’s “provocations” would result in “disaster” for the people of Taiwan.
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