Following three days of simulated military exercises, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that Chinese military aircraft and ships had remained near Taiwan.
When Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei after a meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, China launched the drills on Saturday.
Taiwan's defense ministry said late Tuesday that it had detected nine Chinese ships and 26 aircraft, including J-16 and Su-30 fighters, conducting combat readiness patrols near the island, despite China's claims on Monday night that the exercises had concluded, Reuters reported.
It said Taiwan's air force, navy, and shore-based missile teams are carefully watching.
The government of Taiwan has condemned the exercises and pledged not to escalate or provoke.
Just before midnight on Monday, Tsai Ing-wen wrote on her Facebook page that her trips overseas, including those in the United States, are nothing new and precisely what the people of Taiwan want from their president.
Tsai Ing-Wen slammed China's military drills for exacerbating tensions in Taiwan and the surrounding area. She remarked: "This is not a responsible attitude for a major country in the region."
China launched the drills on Saturday. Compared to the exercises that accompanied Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August last year, they were relatively modest.
China said Monday that the exercises had been a success. The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan said on Monday that they had seen 91 Chinese aircraft and 12 Chinese vessels in the area, per the BBC.
When the Chinese military exercises concluded, Taiwan's defense ministry vowed to continue working to improve the country's readiness for military conflict.
China-Taiwan Tensions Continue To Escalate; US Forces Hold Drills In Taiwan's Neighboring Country
Taiwan possesses its government and constitution and operates as a self-governing nation. China considers Taiwan a separatist province that must be brought back under Beijing's control.
If China imposed a blockade on Taiwan, the island would be cut off from receiving military assistance or other supplies from the United States or its allies.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States must provide Taiwan with defensive weapons but avoids answering whether it would protect Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, per CNN.
Meanwhile, the United States and the Philippines have recently commenced their largest joint military exercises in decades, which included a ship-sinking rocket bombardment over the disputed Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, according to an earlier HNGN report. The annual drills, involving approximately 17,600 service members, will continue until April 28th.
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