China conducts more drills near Taiwan as US lawmakers visit

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 15, 2022 | Dhupali Das

 The five lawmakers from the United States, led by Senator Ed Markey, arrived in Taipei late on Sunday for an unannounced visit...

Digital Desk: China's military said it conducted extra exercises near Taiwan on Monday, as a group of US senators visited the Chinese-claimed island and met President Tsai Ing-wen, which Beijing described as an infringement of its sovereignty.

The five lawmakers from the United States, led by Senator Ed Markey, arrived in Taipei late on Sunday for an unannounced visit. They are the second high-level delegation to travel to Taiwan after Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi did so in early August, which sparked several days of Chinese military exercises.

Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army, the Chinese military organization in charge of the region next to Taiwan, reported that on Monday it had organized multi-service joint combat readiness patrols and combat drills in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan. 

The exercises were "a strong deterrent to the US and Taiwan continuing to play political games and endanger peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," it added.

The lawmakers' visit violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to a second statement from the Chinese Defense Ministry, and "completely shows the true face of the United States as a spoiler and spoiler of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." 

"The Chinese People's Liberation Army continues to train and prepare for war, resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will resolutely crush any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatism and foreign interference." 

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said they would not be deterred by China's response to such visits by foreign friends.

"We can't just sit back and do nothing because there is a bad neighbour next door, and not dare to let guests or friends come," he told reporters. 

Pelosi's visit incensed China, which retaliated by conducting its first-ever test launch of a ballistic missile over Taipei and abandoning other channels of communication with Washington, including theatre military talks and discussions on climate change.

The latest team of US lawmakers to visit Taiwan was scheduled to meet with Tsai on Monday morning. Her office has yet to respond to the meeting. 

However, compared to Pelosi's trip, this one was considerably more modest, and Tsai's meeting with them wasn't broadcast live on her social media platforms, as is customary when important foreign officials visit.

Although there are no formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan, the US is required by law to give the island's democratically run government the tools to defend itself.

China has never disclaimed the option of occupying Taiwan with force. The People's Republic of China has no right to claim Taiwan, according to the island's government, which asserts that only its 23 million citizens have the power to determine their future.