Missiles FIRED – China Conducts DISTURBING Drills
(ConservativeHub.com) – Taiwan considers itself a sovereign nation under its own government rule. But the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) feels the island belongs to Beijing. Recent actions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have shown renewed interest in bringing Taipei back under the mainland’s rule. Increased military movements are causing concerns about potential unrest in the area, and new developments are coming right on the heels of a visit by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to Taiwan.
Pelosi’s Unprecedented Excursion
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on August 2 as part of her broader trip to the Indo-Pacific region. The stop-over was shocking to leaders in China because a speaker hadn’t been to Taipei since the 1990s. In a press release, Pelosi stated the move was to mark her support of the nation’s democracy. She also reiterated that the visit was not contradictory to US policy regarding the country.
The United States has had an agreement with China for decades whereby it recognizes that the Asian nation considers the island part of its territory. At the same time, however, the US doesn’t truly back this idea. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 enacted a complex diplomatic stance designed to keep the peace between Beijing and Washington.
Ahead of the tour, which began on August 1, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian cautioned against the speaker stopping in Taiwan, saying the nation would consider it interference and that there would be consequences.
Changing the Status Quo
Military drills began on August 4 when Pelosi left the area. They involved firing missiles in the waters surrounding Taiwan, launching at least 50 warships into the area, and flying over 200 planes into the island’s airspace. These actions were all within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline.
The exercises were supposed to last only until August 7, but on August 8, the PLA announced through social media it would continue them. The same day, a warning came from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin that these actions were necessary to quell any ideas about the island’s independence.
A recent report from Bloomberg suggests the recent actions by China’s military signal the nation is considering a change in the general status quo. In the past, the CCP honored the median line in the Taiwan Strait and stayed out of the island’s airspace.
Washington’s Response
Since rumors about the speaker’s potential visit to Taiwan began, the Biden administration has been clear that she makes her own travel decisions, and they would not interfere. After the visit and the resulting military drills, President Joe Biden expressed concern over the situation but felt there was really nothing to worry about as he doubted China would move other than through the exercises.
According to Reuters, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister offered a different perspective, claiming China’s recent moves signal its plans to invade in the near future. However, the Pentagon still believes it will be at least another two years before China tries to take over the island.
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