The government of Taiwan scrambled its air reconnaissance patrol forces and ships after the Chinese government simulated an invasion of the island on Saturday as part of its fourth straight day of military training.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the Taiwan government detected 14 Chinese ships and 20 planes in the Taiwan Strait. Fourteen of those planes crossed the median line toward the island of Taiwan, which sent the country’s military into action.
In response to the encroaching Chinese military, “Taiwan’s army broadcast a warning” and put “shore-based missiles on stand-by” as air reconnaissance patrol forces and ships monitored the activity, Reuters reported.
The defense ministry also said that it fired flares after seven drones were flying over the Matsu Islands.
The provocation from China comes just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan earlier this week. China’s foreign ministry issued a protest to the United States, threatening that a visit “seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Prior to her trip, Pelosi wrote that under the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. vowed to support defending Taiwan and that the act said that the U.S. would “consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means … a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”
After the trip, China’s defense ministry announced it would be launch “targeted military operations,” France 24 reported.
On Thursday, Taiwan also said that Communist China fired a number of Dongfeng series ballistic missiles into waters by Taiwan’s northeast and southwest.
Other reports said the Taiwanese government asserted that Communist China had fired two missiles from the nearby Matsu Islands.
BREAKING: @MoNDefense just confirmed that PLA fired several DF ballistic missiles into Taiwan’s northeast and southwest waters starting from 13:46 local time. In response, the ministry has launched defence systems and condemns irrational actions which undermine regional peace.
— Tingting Liu 劉亭廷 (@tingtingliuTVBS) August 4, 2022
Further reports stated that roughly ten Chinese navy ships crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.
BREAKING – TAIWAN SPOTTED TWO MISSILES LAUNCHED BY CHINA NEAR OUTLYING ISLANDS OF MATSU AT AROUND 2 P.M. LOCAL TIME – INTERNAL GOV REPORT
— Yimou Lee (@YimouLee) August 4, 2022
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s administration reportedly has been lobbying against a bill that would support Taiwan by naming it a major non-NATO ally, according to people familiar with the matter. The bill would give $4.5 billion in security aid and support its presence in international organizations.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, “The White House has significant concerns … I have significant concerns,” according to Bloomberg. Murphy confirmed the Foreign Relations panel is stalling the bill; it was to have been voted on Wednesday.
Co-sponsor Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) commented, “It’s a miscalculation of how to keep the world in order. At every turn they take the weakest path.”
“If you put this on the floor of the Senate it would pass overwhelmingly,” he added.
Hank Berrien contributed to this report.
Source: Dailywire
