The Chinese Foreign Ministry immediately responded to Nancy Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan with a long statement of protest, pointing out to Washington “not to proceed further down the wrong and dangerous path.”
The statement also states that: “this is a serious violation of the “one China” principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. It has a serious impact on the political foundations of the two countries’ relations and seriously violates China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It particularly undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and sends a deeply wrong message to the separatist forces of “Taiwan independence”. China strongly opposes and strongly condemns this move, and has made serious progress and strong protest to the United States.”
The Ministry of Defense of China in turn announced the holding of military high schools around Taiwan and – as it points out in the relevant announcement – will defend the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
The drills will be naval and air and will include live-fire firing in the Taiwan Strait starting at midnight on Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense. Essentially, China is annexing areas around Taiwan, encircling the island nation.
In addition, the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Command announced that it will conduct joint military operations near Taiwan from Tuesday night and conduct conventional missile tests in the maritime area east of Taiwan.
The drills will include joint air and sea exercises in the north, southwest, northeast of Taiwan, long-range firing in the Taiwan Strait and missile tests in the sea area east of Taiwan, the Eastern Command said.
