Taiwan denounces China’s military drills as ‘blatant provocation to world order’ | World News

China’s two-day military drills around Taiwan were a “blatant provocation to the international order,” Taiwan’s government said in a statement on Saturday after the exercises ended.

The drills began three days after Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te took office and delivered an inaugural address that China denounced as a “confession of independence.”

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, considers Lai a “dangerous separatist”.

By Friday evening, a host on state military news channel CCTV-7 said the Chinese military had “successfully completed” the operation, dubbed “Unified Sword-2024A.”

Also see | ‘Great warning’: China threatens to break the neck of Taiwan independence fighters

Karen Kuo, a spokeswoman for President Lai Ming, reiterated in a statement that ensuring peace and stability across the region “is in the common interest of the international community.”

“However, China’s recent unilateral provocations not only undermine the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but are also a blatant provocation to the international order, raising serious concerns and condemnation from the international community,” she said.

Guo added that Taiwan expects “China to take into consideration the safety and well-being of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, pursue mutual benefits and coexistence, and stop all kinds of political and military intimidation against Taiwan and the region.”

Self-governing Taiwan has a democratically elected government, military and currency, but Beijing has said it will never give up the possibility of using force to bring the island under its control.

A Chinese military analyst told state news agency Xinhua that People’s Liberation Army ships had come “closer than ever” to Taiwan’s coast during the two-day military exercise.

The exercises reportedly simulated attacks targeting the island’s leadership, port and airport.

Regarding China’s various military actions, Guo said, “The president and the national security team are fully aware of the situation,” and urged the public to “remain at ease.”