China-Taiwan Conflict: 21 PLA planes violate Taiwan’s airspace amid Nancy Pelosi’s visit

China-Taiwan Conflict: Soon after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, 21 Chinese military planes took off over the southwestern part of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), confirmed by Taiwan’s national ministry.

The Defense Ministry said on Twitter, “21 PLA aircraft entered the ADIZ southwest of Taiwan on 2 August.”

In response, Taiwan launched a combat air patrol operation, sent radio warnings and sent Chinese military aircraft. Deployed defense missile systems to track Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a visit by a congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of the Chinese threat.

Minutes after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced it would conduct six live-fire military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday.

In response to China’s announcement of the exercise, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that China’s plan to conduct six live-fire military exercises in the waters around Taiwan over the next few days was a threat to Taiwan’s major ports and metropolitan areas.

“This unilateral attempt to undermine regional peace and stability will not help China’s international image and will hurt the sentiments of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” the Taiwan government said in a statement.

“The ministry is closely monitoring the activities of the PLA and will respond appropriately to any action by the Chinese military,” the statement added.

China announces military exercises in Taiwan Strait

According to Chinese media reports, China announced that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct military exercises in the North, North-East, North-West, East, South and South-West of the country in the Taiwan Strait, Bashi Channel, East China Sea and Pacific.

“Chinese armed forces will launch military operations around Taiwan, long-range live firing in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile tests in the maritime areas of the island’s eastern side,” Xi Yi, a spokesman for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, said.

US Navy deploys warships

Meanwhile, media reports said the US Navy has deployed four warships to the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan and south of the Philippines and Japan.

These include the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam, the destroyer USS Higgins and the large deck ship USS Tripoli, a US Navy official said.

The US House speaker, who is second only to the Oval Office after the US vice president, reaffirmed his country’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy and said the visit was not in any way a joint visit to the self-governing island.

“Our discussions with the Taiwanese leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and promoting our common interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Pelosi said in a statement after arriving in Taiwan. She expressed US solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the growing threat from China.

China opposes Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit

China strongly opposed Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and called the visit a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communiqué signed between the two countries.

China said the visit seriously undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to “separatist forces for Taiwan’s independence”.

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