China began a major military exercise near Taiwan on Saturday. It would last three days, international news agencies report. It comes in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States last week, where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China has sent dozens of naval vessels and fighter jets to the island, which it considers a renegade province.
In a brief statement, the Chinese army says it wants to issue a warning to Taiwanese who strive for independence with the military exercise. For China, Tsai’s meeting with McCarthy was a geopolitical provocation. Beijing had already threatened countermeasures. In addition to the military exercises, sanctions from China were also announced this week. For example, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where Tsai and McCarthy met, can no longer do business with Chinese companies and organizations.
Eight naval vessels and 42 fighter jets were sighted near Taiwan on Saturday. Part of the aircraft, 29, is the median line crossed the informally agreed border line between Taiwan and China. There are regular Chinese military provocations around the island. This happened, among other things, after the visit of Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, to Taiwan last year. In response, China organized a major military blockade around the island. Even then, dozens of fighter planes and warships were involved.
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