The maneuvers are intended to test the ability of Chinese ships and aircraft to “control air and sea spaces” and fight in “real-world conditions,” the official article noted. The agency added that they should serve as “stern warnings against the collusion of Taiwan separatists” with foreign elements and their provocations.
Taiwan strongly condemned “this irrational and provocative behavior” and promised to send “appropriate forces (…) to respond to it in order to protect Taiwan’s independence, democracy and sovereignty.”
“Conducting a military exercise under a false pretext (…) does not contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but highlights the (Chinese) militaristic mindset and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion,” the island’s Department of National Defense said in a statement on Saturday.
“New Provocation”
William Lai, a front-runner in Taiwan’s presidential election next year, a self-proclaimed “practical separatist,” is Beijing’s darling. After a trip to Paraguay, one of the few countries that officially recognizes Taiwan, the Harvard-educated doctor-turned-politician made stops in New York and San Francisco.
The trip drew the ire of China, which opposes any official contact between the West and Taiwan, which it considers one of its provinces. Beijing believes these connections delegitimize Taiwanese authorities and undermine its sovereign rights over the island.
Washington called for calm over the trip of William Lai, who according to Taiwanese officials was only “passing through” US soil before attending the inauguration of President-elect Santiago Pena of Paraguay.
But on Saturday, an official from the Chinese Communist Party’s office in charge of Taiwan issues “strongly condemned” William Lai’s visit, calling it “another provocation” to “strengthen cooperation with the United States,” according to New China.
‘The real troublemaker’
“Mr. Lai’s last stop… was a cover he used to secure gains in local elections through unscrupulous manipulations of Taiwan’s interests,” the official said. “Mr. Lai’s actions have demonstrated that he is a real troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the brink of war and cause serious problems for our fellow Taiwanese,” the statement continued.
William Lai has been nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party to run for president in 2024, succeeding President Tsai Ing-wen to complete her second term. Beijing-Taipei relations deteriorated after Tsai Ing-wen became president in 2016, with Beijing intensifying political and military pressure on the archipelago in recent years.
Military aircraft frequently penetrate Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADZ). In April, when Tsai Ing-wen met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China held three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of Taiwan.
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