Beijing conducted military training of its warplanes near Taiwan's territory when an American diplomat was in the country to meet its president. The event is part of a series of actions by the United States government in forging a better relationship with the island nation.
Political meeting
The diplomat was Keith Krach, the Undersecretary of State, and is the highest-ranking official from the State Department to visit Taiwan since Washington ended its ties with the country nearly 40 years ago.
On Friday, Krach expressed his support for better relations between the U.S. and Taiwan during a dinner hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Trump's administration has recently increased its efforts to foster relationships with Taiwan amid growing tensions with China over several issues, including trade and territorial claims. The island nation is a sensitive topic between Beijing and Washington because China considers it part of its territory.
Earlier this week, the State Department announced Krach's plans to travel to Taiwan and attend the memorial service of the country's former President Lee Teng-hui, who passed away in July. Lee had the legacy of bringing Taiwan to a state of multiparty democracy, which ultimately paved the way for the United States and the island nation to share a similar democratic view.
Before the meeting, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it deployed jet fighters when it observed at least 18 Chinese aircraft flying across the median line in the Taiwan Strait. The area marks the middle point between the island nation and China.
Beijing stated that the military exercises it conducted near the Taiwan Strait on Friday were needed to protect its national sovereignty, arguing the recent international interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan.
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A part of Chinese territory
According to the Times of India, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman, said that the U.S. is misguided in its plans to control China through Taiwan. He added that what the American government is doing is playing risky.
Taiwan's government told China to exercise moderation in its actions and have reassured its citizens that it had everything under control with the military monitoring the situation carefully.
The editor of China's Global Times tabloid, Hu Xijin, wrote in a microblog that the military drills were Beijing's preparation for an assault on Taiwan if it finds the need to push forward. He added that People's Liberation Army fighters should fly over the island nation if the U.S. secretary of state or defense visits the region.
When the U.S. Health Secretary, Alex Azar, visited Taipei last month, several Chinese fighter jets flew beyond the Taiwan Strait's mid-line for a short time. Beijing also conducted two days of large-scale military drills near Taiwan's southwestern coast last week.
Despite the United States having international ties with China and not Taiwan, the American nation is the island country's leading supplier for weapons and is considered its most significant international supporter.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations had a lunch meeting with Taiwan's top envoy in New York City this week. However, China's U.N. mission expressed its criticisms of the meeting.
