(Taipei) Taiwan announced on Thursday morning that it detected three warships and an anti-submarine helicopter near the self-governing island, after the meeting between its president Tsai Ing-wen and the speaker of the American House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy in California.
“One People’s Liberation Army aircraft and three People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels were detected at 6 a.m. local time (6 p.m. [heure de l’Est] Wednesday), Taiwan’s defense minister said in a statement.
“The armed forces have been monitoring the situation and tasked the (Taiwanese) Combat Air Patrol aircraft, navy ships and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities,” he added.
Taiwan’s president, from a party that traditionally advocates for the island’s independence — an absolute red line for China — spoke with Speaker of the House of Representatives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday. of Simi Valley, near Los Angeles, despite repeated threats of ripostes issued by Beijing in recent weeks.
Beijing on Thursday promised “determined and effective measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
China launched unprecedented military maneuvers around Taiwan last August, when Democrat Nancy Pelosi, Mr McCarthy’s roost predecessor, visited Taiwan.
The Taipei Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the island’s top China policy-making body, accused Beijing on Wednesday of “impeding” trade across the Taiwan Strait by proceeding on-site inspections of cargo and passenger vessels.
Chinese maritime authorities had previously said they were stepping up patrols in the waters between the island and mainland China, without giving further details.
“The Chinese side’s action deliberately escalates cross-Strait tensions,” the MAC said.
“This is a flagrant violation of the cross-strait shipping agreement and maritime practices, which will have a significant negative impact on normal cross-strait traffic.