China announces military exercises in the Taiwan Strait

“The eastern deployment area of ​​the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will conduct combat exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the northern and southern parts of the island, and the airspace east of Taiwan Island from April 8 to 10,” a Chinese military statement said.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense later announced that it had spotted three warships and 13 Chinese aircraft around the island. Then there was talk of eight warships and 42 Chinese warplanes. Taiwan said nine aircraft had violated its air defense zone, which it called “irrational acts”.

“authoritarian expansion”

President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan faces “authoritarian expansion” from China. The president added that Taiwan “will continue to work with the United States and other countries to defend the values ​​of freedom and democracy.” Already on Friday, China imposed sanctions on two US organizations that hosted Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit to the United States.

Democratic, self-governing Taiwan, which was never part of the People’s Republic of China, has had an independent government since 1949. However, China considers the island, with a population of about 23 million, to be part of its territory. In recent months this has led to tensions on several occasions. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is great concern in the West that China might also use military force in its territorial claim to Taiwan.