China conducts “precision ballistic missile strikes” in Taiwan Strait

Taipei, Aug 4: China says it conducted “precision missile strikes” in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. This came as part of military exercises that have escalated tensions in the region to their highest level in decades.

 

China earlier announced that military exercises by its navy, air force and other departments were underway in six zones surrounding Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

 

"Long-range armed live fire precision were carried out on selected targets in the eastern area of the Taiwan Strait," the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, the ruling Communist Party's military wing, said in a statement on its social media platform.

 

 

These escalations came after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island this week. In a tense trip, Pelosi landed in Taipei with her congressional delegation late on Tuesday, defying China’s repeated warnings against the visit. Pelosi pledged solidarity and hailed Taiwan’s democracy and said that the US will not abandon its commitment to the self-governing island.

 

 

Taiwan's defence ministry confirmed that the Chinese military launched missiles. Taiwan said that China launched a total of 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan's northern, southern and eastern coasts. It has cancelled airline flights as the Chinese navy fired artillery near the island. It said that China's missile launch threatens national security of Taiwan, escalates tensions in the region.

 

 

Apart from this, Taiwan's foreign ministry said China "imitated" North Korea by firing missiles into waters near the island earlier in the day and called for self-restraint amid high tensions with Beijing. The ministry said in a statement China has threatened Taiwan's security and urged countries to support the democratic island and jointly defend freedom and democracy. It called on international community to jointly condemn China's military threat to Taiwan. It urged countries to continue to support democratic Taiwan and jointly defend freedom and democracy.