China sends 71 military aircraft and kicks off military drills in ‘serious warning’ to Taiwan

Large-scale drills aim to intimidate island nation

At least 71 Chinese planes and nine ships crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line on Saturday morning, according to the country’s defence ministry.

This move has come just days after the Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen met with the speaker of the US House of Representatives in Los Angeles.

China in return issued a warning to the island it claims as its own territory. “This is a serious warning to the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces’ collusion and provocation, and it is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Chinese army’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said it spotted 71 Chinese planes and nine ships crossing the median line – that serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides – as of 1600 local time (0800 GMT) on Saturday.

China was using Ms Tsai’s US visit “as an excuse to carry out military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security”, the ministry said in a statement.

“The military will respond with a calm, rational and serious attitude ... to defend national sovereignty and national security.”

Taiwan’s defence ministry also said it condemned irrational actions and added it will defend national security with solid combat readiness.

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen talking to Michael McCaul (AFP)

“People of Taiwan love democracy and seek peace,” Ms Tsai said about her meeting with House speaker Kevin McCarthy.

“We look forward to further strengthening security cooperation with the US.”

“I would like to reiterate that the people of Taiwan love democracy and seek peace,” Ms Tsai said, without mentioning the Chinese drills in her statement.

A delegation led by Michael McCaul, the chairman of the US House foreign affairs committee, was also hosted by Taiwan on Saturday. Mr McCaul said he looked forward to the strengthening of Taiwan’s security cooperation with the US.

Other than the drills, China has also imposed a fresh tranche of sanctions against the US in retaliation to Mr McCarthy‘s meeting with the Taiwanese president.

Tsai in Taipei on Friday (Getty Images)

The sanctions announced on Friday apply to Taiwan‘s de facto ambassador to the US, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank which hosted Ms Tsai in New York and presented her with a leadership award.

The Chinese foreign ministry said the two organisations were sanctioned for “providing a platform and convenience to Taiwan separatist activities”.

It said Chinese institutions were prohibited from having any cooperation or contact with them.

The ministry also sanctioned Sarah May Stern, chair of the Hudson Institute board of directors, John P Walters, the institute’s director, John Heubusch, former executive director of the Reagan Foundation, and Joanne M Drake, the foundation’s chief administrator.

China has banned these officials from entering the country and frozen any of their properties in the country.

A separate round of sanctions targeted Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US. Beijing has prohibited Hsiao Bi-khim and her family members from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.