China has sent warships to the waters surrounding Taiwan, just 24 hours after the island’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, met Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the United States (US) House of Representatives in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that on Thursday morning, Taiwan’s defence ministry reported that three Chinese warships had been spotted in the waters separating the island from mainland China. It is also understood that an anti-submarine helicopter had also passed through Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.
The development comes as Ms Tsai makes a stop in Los Angeles as part of a week-long trip to strengthen ties in the United States and Central America. She will return to Taipei on Friday.
Recall that the Chinese foreign ministry had issued a statement, declaring their intention to take resolute and effective actions to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity against what they perceive as grave acts of collusion between the US and Taiwan.
China views any engagement between the US and Taiwan as a threat to their territorial claim over the island nation.
“In response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the US and Taiwan, China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Chinese foreign ministry was quoted as saying.
During Wednesday’s meeting, a House speaker and a Taiwanese president interacted on US soil for the first time since 1979 when formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan were broken off.
Despite that lack of diplomatic relations, the US still provides arms to Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act.
