The president of taiwan, Tsai Ing-wenassured this Thursday that his cabinet is working hard to prevent Chinese regime interference in its territorial waters.
“During my stay abroad, our homeland security team is closely monitoring the situation. Our action consists of guarantee safe navigation on the high seas for our ships and prevent Chinese interference in our territorial waters”, assured the president before leaving USAwhere he stayed for a few hours, on his way to Guatemala and his return from belize.
The Taiwanese president had undertaken this brief tour of Central America that included a visit to these two countries that still recognize their sovereigntyafter -recently- Honduras end their friendship to get closer to the Chinese regime.
On her return from the island, Tsai spent a few hours in California where, the day before, she had a meeting with the president of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthywhich made it the highest-ranking American figure to meet a Taiwanese leader in the country in decades. At the meeting, the Asian president thanked the legislator for the support he has given to her island recently and stressed the importance of “being strong” to maintain peace.
“To preserve peace we must be strong. We are stronger when we are together.”he said, to which McCarthy added that “our bond is stronger now than at any other time (…) Taiwan is a successful democracy, a prosperous economy and a global leader in health and science.”
These statements angered China which, hours later, deployed three warships and a helicopter in the vicinity of the island. The fleet is led by the ship shandongwhich has -in turn- planned maneuvers in the eastern Pacific.
The passage of these ships was recorded about 400 kilometers south of Taiwan and caused, in response, the deployment of combat aircraft, Navy ships and the activation of land-based missile launch systems by the local Ministry of Defense.
Along with these maneuvers, Xi Jinping’s Foreign Minister warned that his country would take “firm and absolute measures to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” despite the fact that the administration of Joe Biden had already advanced these bilateral meetings in the country and He had asked China “not to overreact” to these visits whose nature is not “official”.
On the other hand, this Thursday the Chinese maritime safety administration of Fujian launched a joint special operation patrol and inspection which will last three days and is located in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait.
As explained by the maritime authorities, it is inspections on site on direct cargo ships and construction ships on both sides of the passagewith the objective of “guarantee the safety of the navigation of ships and guarantee the safe and orderly operation of key projects in the water”although -in reality- it would be a reprisal for the visit.
Taiwan assured that this type of actions should not be endorsed and the shipowners intimidated by these operations should notify the coast guard so that they provide assistance. “If the mainland insists on taking unilateral measures, it will create obstacles to normal exchanges between the two parties. We will be forced to take the corresponding measures,” they added.
(With information from AFP)
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The Chinese regime sent three warships and a helicopter to the surroundings of Taiwan
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Source-www.infobae.com