Taipei: Taiwan said it spotted dozens of Chinese warplanes and naval ships on Friday, the second day of massive Chinese military exercises off its coast. The Defense Ministry said it detected 49 warplanes and 19 naval ships as well as Chinese coast guard vessels. In a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday, 35 aircraft flew over the Taiwan Strait, the de facto border between the two sides.
‘Facing dangers’
Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te on Thursday visited a naval base in Taoyuan, south of the capital Taipei, and told sailors and top security officials, “We are facing external challenges and threats. We will uphold the values of freedom and democracy.”
‘Taiwan is an independent sovereign nation’
Earlier, President Lai Ching-te said in his inaugural address on Monday that Taiwan is “an independent sovereign nation in which sovereignty is in the hands of the people.” He also asked Beijing to stop its military threat. At the same time, the Chinese army said that its two-day exercise around Taiwan is like a punishment for separatist forces seeking independence.
‘Taiwan is part of China’
“The Taiwan leader challenged the one-China principle as soon as he took office,” Chen Binhua, spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement Thursday night. According to the ‘one-China principle’, China is only one country and Taiwan is also part of China under the rule of the Communist Party. China believes that Taiwan should be united with the mainland even if it has to use force. (AP)
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