Over the weekend, China's military stepped up its presence near Taiwan, deploying 14 warships, seven military aircraft, and four balloons, Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported. This escalation comes amid suspicions that Beijing might execute military drills following Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's diplomatic tour, which included stops in Hawaii and Guam. China, claiming Taiwan as its own territory, regularly protests such international engagements and opposes US arms sales to the self-governing island of 23 million people.
During a 24-hour period from Saturday to Sunday, six Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, while one balloon hovered over northern Taiwan, the ministry noted. Lai, on the heels of his overseas visit to Pacific allies such as the Marshall Islands, addressed Beijing's aggressive tactics, stressing that military maneuvers "will not be able to win the respect" of neighboring nations. His recent travels also brought about interactions with US Congress leaders, further frustrating China, which deems such exchanges and US support for Taiwan as interference in its sovereign affairs.
China has historically signaled its intentions to annex Taiwan, if necessary, through military force, maintaining a regular pattern of military sorties near the island. In a previous show of force, China conducted significant drills around Taiwan, deploying a record number of aircraft and naval vessels. Beijing has been vocal in its criticism of President Lai, labeling him a separatist, with little sign of diplomatic reconciliations looming on the horizon. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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