China considers Taiwan, with a population of around 23 million, to be one of its provinces, which it has yet to successfully reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War ( 1949).
Opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing is against any official contact between Taiwan and other countries.
So even if American officials visit this island frequently, China has deemed that the visit on August 4 of Nancy Pelosi, one of the highest figures in the American state, was a major provocation.
Every evening,
20 Minutes
returns to the tensions around Taiwan as the Chinese army conducts the largest military exercises in its history in this area, sending fighter planes, warships, drones and firing ballistic missiles.
Did you miss the latest events regarding the renewed tension around Taiwan?
Do not panic,
20 Minutes
takes stock every day, since the visit of Nancy Pelosi, number three American and president of the House of Representatives, which has largely cooled relations between China and the United States.
Who did what ?
Who said what?
Where are we ?
The answer below:
The fact of the day
Taiwan's army conducted a live ammunition artillery exercise on Tuesday simulating the island's defense against a Chinese invasion that Taipei accuses Beijing of planning.
Beijing "used the exercises and its military roadmap to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan," Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said at a press conference.
On Tuesday, several hundred soldiers were deployed, as well as about 40 howitzers, the army said.
An AFP journalist present on the spot noted the start of operations in Pingtung County (south) shortly after 2:40 a.m., with flares and artillery fire.
The drills ended around 3:30 a.m., said Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for Taiwan's Eighth Corps.
A new exercise is scheduled for Thursday.
The number of the day
45.
The Taiwanese military said it detected 45 Chinese aircraft and ten ships operating in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday.
Still according to Taipei, 16 planes would have crossed the median line.
No Chinese warplanes or ships entered Taiwan's territorial waters - less than 12 nautical miles from land - during Beijing's drills on Tuesday.
sentence of the day
Any attempt to oppose, by armed force, the current of history and reunification will inevitably face the firm opposition of the whole Chinese people.
It would be overestimating your abilities, being reckless and doomed to failure.
»
These are the words of the Chinese spokesman for Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, who during a press briefing on Tuesday reacted to the Taiwanese maneuvers.
The trend of the day
During a press conference in Taipei after the Taiwanese maneuvers, Joseph Wu did not fail to thank his Western allies, first and foremost Nancy Pelosi, for standing up to China.
The head of Taiwan's diplomacy also explained that he feared a one-upmanship on the part of Beijing, which is firmly opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy.
Our file on Taiwan
"China's provocation and aggression have undermined the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and raised tensions in the region," Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Still, Washington felt that the risk of escalation from Beijing was low.
“I'm not worried, but I'm concerned that they're so fussy.
But I don't believe they are doing more than what they are doing,” said US President Joe Biden.
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Taiwan organizes military exercises and accuses Beijing of planning an invasion
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The lunar tweet of a Beijing spokeswoman about Taiwan
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