“Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Warns of Impending War with China”

– It looks like they are getting ready to go to war against Taiwan, says Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, to CNN.

China started a major military exercise around Taiwan on Saturday. According to Chinese authorities, the exercise has been completed, but Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that eight Chinese naval vessels remained in the waters around the island.

Separated since 1949

The Chinese exercise was launched after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen returned home after meeting the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, in Los Angeles.

When asked if the meeting was worth it, the foreign minister says that China cannot dictate how the island’s “friends” should show their support.

The tension increases

China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949 when the Communists won the Chinese Civil War and took power on the mainland, but China claims Taiwan as its territory.

Planning a no-fly zone

China will establish a no-fly zone around 85 nautical miles north of Taiwan for just half an hour on Sunday in connection with part of a launch vehicle falling into the sea.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense initially announced that the flight ban would apply for three days from Sunday. Shortly afterwards, they say that China has reduced the time slot to 27 minutes on Sunday morning as a result of Taiwan’s protests.

Taiwan says the airspace being closed overlaps with the aircraft identification zone it monitors.

Japan says China has notified them that the temporary no-fly zone could affect the safety of aircraft in areas outside Japan’s territory.