• Diplomacy && Geopolitics World War III with T of Taiwan

China began three days of military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday in a "stern warning" to the "separatist forces" of this self-ruled island, after the meeting of its president with the leader of the US House of Representatives.

These maneuvers "serve as a stern warning against collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces," a military spokesman, Shi Yin, said in a statement.

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Bilateral relations.

U.S. and Taiwan challenge China

  • Editor: PABLO PARDO (Correspondent)Washington

U.S. and Taiwan challenge China

Asia.

China, entertained with its diplomatic offensive, responds timidly to the trip of the Taiwanese president to the US

  • Editor: LUCAS DE LA CAL (Correspondent in Asia)

China, entertained with its diplomatic offensive, responds timidly to the trip of the Taiwanese president to the US

Taiwan expressed its condemnation of the military maneuvers carried out by Beijing around the island and described them as "an irrational act that endangers regional security and stability," reports Efe.

The drills will involve live fire on Monday off the coast of Fujian province, just across from Taiwan, the regional maritime authority said in a statement.

The announcement comes after the meeting on Wednesday in the western state of California between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said the exercises "seriously undermine peace, stability and security in the region" and President Tsai denounced Beijing's "continued authoritarian expansionism."

China considers this island with a democratic government as part of its territory and opposes any contact between Taiwanese leaders and representatives of other countries.

Shortly after the controversial meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry already warned that it would take "firm and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

After two days of deploying aircraft and ships near the island, the Chinese People's Liberation Army announced "a combat readiness exercise in the Taiwan Strait" from April 8 to 10.

This exercise will take place "in the maritime areas and airspace of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coast of the island and east of the island," Shi Yin said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

These maneuvers were launched hours after the departure from China of French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had met with Xi Jinping on Thursday.

8 warships and 42 fighter jets

The Taiwanese ministry noted that on Saturday morning they detected 8 Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets around its territory, in Taiwan's Air Identification Zone, of which 29 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which has functioned for decades as an unofficial border but tacitly respected by China and Taiwan. self-governing island whose sovereignty Beijing claims.

The island's Defense Ministry said on its official Twitter account that it has commissioned its aircraft, ships and missile systems to "respond to activities," reports Efe.

However, in the place in mainland China closest to Taiwan, the island of Pingtan, tourists seemed oblivious to the new developments, taking portraits facing the sea where cargo ships still circulated.

Maritime traffic, however, should be disrupted on Monday because the maritime authority issued a warning not to cross the strait for military maneuvers with live fire.

China held huge military maneuvers around the island in August 2022 in response to the visit to Taipei of Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy's predecessor in the House of Representatives.

"They will never be divided"

The current leader of the lower house of the US legislature also wanted to travel to the island, but finally opted for a meeting with Tsai in California as an intermediate solution to Beijing's anger.

The Taiwanese leader made a stopover there after visiting Guatemala and Belize, two of the last official allies of the island, which recently lost Honduras to Beijing.

Right now, only 13 countries in the world recognize Taipei. Among them is not the United States, which, however, is one of Taiwan's main allies and its main arms supplier.

Back in Taipei, Tsai said Saturday that Taiwan "will continue to work with the United States and other like-minded countries to jointly uphold the values of freedom and democracy."

On the eve, the spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, Mao Ning, had said that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China."

"China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will never be divided... Taiwan's future lies in reunification with the motherland," he added.

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