On Thursday, August 4, 2022, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced that China had fired two missiles at Taiwan’s Matsu Islands, as Beijing began the largest military exercise around Taiwan, which has escalated tensions with the recent trip. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, to the island that Beijing considers part of its territory.
The ministry said in a statement that the two missiles were fired at around 14:00 local time (06:00 GMT), according to a report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
The ministry condemned the rocket fire, stressing that it “destabilizes the security of the region”.
The field development comes as Taiwan’s military says it is “ready to fight without seeking war” after China’s military began an unprecedented four-day military exercise off Taiwan’s coast.
China has set coordinates for 6 zones around Taiwan, requiring all ships and aircraft to avoid these zones, which actually overlap with Taiwan’s territorial waters and are near its main shipping ports.
In turn, Taiwan’s defense ministry accused China of imposing an effective blockade, and a Taiwanese official confirmed that about 10 Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the middle line, the unofficial line that separates the territorial waters of China and Taiwan. did, before the “Taiwanese fleet,” according to a statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense.
Taiwan also said several Chinese warplanes crossed the middle line several times on Thursday morning, prompting Taiwan to scramble to locate the planes and deploy missile systems to track their movements.
An unconfirmed video clip showed live rockets being fired from China toward Taiwan, and AFP reporters on the border island of Pingtan saw several small projectiles fly into the sky, followed by white smoke and loud roaring sounds.
In turn, the Bureau of Maritime Navigation and Ports in Taiwan warned ships to avoid using the areas where the drills are being held, while the Taiwanese government said the drills covered 18 international routes from the FIR. It passes, disrupts.
Source: Lebanon Debate
