Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, arrived on the island of Taiwan on Tuesday, despite the Chinese warning against such a trip.
Taiwanese media confirmed that “the air defense system was activated at the Taipei airport”, while the Japanese network announced that “8 US fighter jets were launched from the island of Okinawa in eastern Taiwan”.
China quickly announced the “closure of civil aircraft airspace in the Taiwan Strait” and threatened that “aircraft violating the no-fly zone in Taiwan’s airspace may be shot down.”
In the same context, Chinese media said: Chinese Sukhoi-35 fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait.
Earlier today, Pelosi left Malaysia, the second leg of her Asian tour, amid heightened tensions over her visit to Taiwan.
Chinese media reported that the military has deployed a large number of military vehicles off the coast of Taiwan.
For its part, Taiwan said of Pelosi’s visit: “We warmly welcome foreign guests and will make appropriate arrangements,” while Taiwanese media reported that Taipei airport had received bomb threats ahead of Pelosi’s upcoming trip. has been
Before this, the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan confirmed the military movements near Taiwan and emphasized: We will deploy appropriate military forces in response to threats and we have the necessary determination and ability to ensure our national security.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said about Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan: “We hope that America understands the sensitivity of the situation and we will respond decisively if Pelosi visits Taiwan.”
Military Watch has reported that China launched the Carrier Killer missile, the first supersonic vehicle, after the US Navy moved its carrier groups closer to Chinese soil, fearing Beijing’s response in Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, established
And the American magazine Politico, citing Western diplomatic sources, wrote that European countries are preparing for the consequences of a dangerous escalation of tension between Washington and Beijing over Pelosi’s visit.
A source familiar with the matter told the magazine that the escalating war of words between the US and China over Taiwan has European countries worried about the risks of possible military escalation.
The sources stressed that the European Union considers any military confrontation between China and Washington as an out-of-control conflict.
Boris Rogge, the deputy of the Munich Security Conference, warned European countries not to prepare for a US-China confrontation scenario by supporting Taiwan, in addition to maintaining close contact with Beijing to reduce tensions.
Source: Lebanon Debate
