(RightWing.org) – Tensions continued to mount in the Taiwan Strait after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan in August 2022. After her trip, Beijing launched a series of military exercises around the island and suspended critical communications with the US. Most recently, new reports reveal the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent troops to surround the tiny island nation after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on April 5.
Media outlets exploded with the news that the CCP’s military arm, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), completely surrounded Taiwan over the weekend. The PLA conducted a three-day exercise that included military training and simulations in the Taiwan Strait, ending on Monday, April 10.
Dubbed “Joint Sword,” the exercise simulated a full-scale sea and air blockade of Taiwan. The series of drills included the use of an aircraft carrier, warplanes, and fighter jets armed with live ammo under “actual combat conditions.” During the last day of exercises, the PLA deployed nuclear-capable twin-engine Xian H-6 bombers, supported by jamming aircraft and fighter jets. The sortie conducted multi-wave simulated strikes on strategic targets in and around Taiwan.
On Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for the CCP’s Taiwan Affairs Affairs Office, confirmed the “series of countermeasures” was intended to serve as a “serious warning” against any cooperation between the island’s “separatist forces and external [elements].”
China says drills around Taiwan are 'serious warning' https://t.co/m90m8oX2jp
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 13, 2023
The White House Responds to Chinese Exercises
National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby talked to reporters about the Chinese exercises during the White House’s daily press briefing on April 10. He claimed there was “no reason” for tensions in the Taiwan Strait to “devolve” into armed conflict.
Kirby told reporters there hadn’t been a shift in US policy regarding the region. “Nothing has changed” regarding America’s One China policy. “We don’t support Taiwan independence,” he said.
Kirby also confirmed the Biden administration wasn’t reconsidering its posture in the Indo-Pacific region. He pointed to a series of exercises the US Navy was conducting in the Philippine Sea as an example of the White House’s resolve. Kirby said American armed forces would continue to operate in international airspace and waters to protect the nation’s national security commitments.
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