China buzzes Taiwan Strait again, minister decries ‘disinformation’ about safety
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Taiwan has faced in recent years almost daily missions by Chinese military aircraft.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
TAIPEI – Chinese fighter jets again crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, as a senior Taiwanese official decried “annoying disinformation” about how safe the island is given the mounting tensions with Beijing.
Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary, has faced in recent years almost daily missions by Chinese military aircraft,
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday morning that eight Chinese fighters had crossed the median line and four Chinese warships also joined a “joint combat readiness patrol”.
“We believe that any unilateral and irrational provocations are not helping regional security,” ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters in Pingtung in southern Taiwan on a trip to see pre-planned anti-aircraft drills, where soldiers fired US-made Stinger missiles to shoot down drone targets.
China practised precision strikes and blockaded the island in war games around it in April
Despite China’s frequent military activities, there has been no sign of public alarm in Taiwan and life has carried on as normal.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Roy Lee said one of the reasons the government wanted foreign lawmakers, officials and academics to visit was to see the situation on the ground.
“A lot of colleagues and friends outside of Taiwan are subject to this annoying disinformation campaign. They have a mismatched conception and understanding about the situation in Taiwan,” he added.
“We are confident that when they are here they will see Taiwan is very calm; we are not provoking or making any dangerous movements. On the other hand, we are demonstrating a very high level of resilience against China’s intimidation and threats.”
As Mr Lee spoke, Ms Tsai met a delegation led by US Representative Kevin Hern, who leads the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the latest in a string of such visits to Taipei.
“Support for Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation has been one of the founding principles of the RSC,” Mr Hern told Ms Tsai.
Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and vows to defend itself if China attacks the island. REUTERS
