Military exercises, warships and fighter jets: China provokes Taiwan

Taipei - China has provoked the island republic of Taiwan with warships and military jets.

In view of the tensions with China, Taiwan began new military maneuvers in September.
In view of the tensions with China, Taiwan began new military maneuvers in September.  © Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, 71 Chinese aircraft and seven ships had been detected near Taiwan within 24 hours by 6 a.m. on Monday morning. According to the report, 47 aircraft also crossed the centerline of the Taiwan Strait. The strait separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland.

China announced on Sunday that it had held a military maneuver in the region. According to the Eastern Command of the People's Liberation Army, exercises were carried out in the sea and airspace near Taiwan.

It was a "resolute response" to "the current escalation and provocation" by the United States and Taiwan. The US Congress passed the government's new budget on Friday, which also provides for new loans for Taiwan to purchase weapons.

The Chinese leadership regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and is threatening to conquer it.

Taiwan is a small, modern, technologically advanced island state located around 180 kilometers east of China.
ContentImage.Description   © Quelle: Auswärtiges Amt, CIA World Factbook, OSM-Mitwirkende; Grafik: A. Brühl, Redaktion: J. Schneider
Despite all the threats from China, top US politician Nancy Pelosi (82) arrived in Taiwan for a visit at the beginning of August.
ContentImage.Description   © Uncredited/Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP/dpa

Tensions have intensified in recent months. Following the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi (82), in August, Beijing launched large-scale military maneuvers and is maintaining military pressure with increased deployments of warships and aircraft in the Taiwan Strait.