The United States urged China to exercise restraint as China continues its second day of intense armed protests in the form of encircling Taiwan from all sides.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that as of today (9th), 71 Chinese military aircraft and 9 warships, including J-10, J-11, J-16 fighters and H-6K bombers, are being detected around Taiwan.
The Chinese military also confirmed that it conducted mock strike drills against key targets in Taiwan and surrounding waters that day.
Previously, China announced in a statement yesterday (8th) that “battle-preparation patrols and ‘sharp sword joint training’ began as scheduled around Taiwan.”
The military exercise is being accepted as retaliation for a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on the 5th.
The U.S. State Department said it urges “restraint and maintenance of the status quo” about the large-scale training of the People’s Liberation Army of China.
A State Department spokesperson said the United States “is closely monitoring China’s actions” and that “we have sufficient resources and capabilities to ensure regional peace and stability and to deliver on our national security commitments.”
VOA News
* This article was sourced from Reuters.
