Taiwan and China with 9 warships trying to surround the island in a series of maneuvers

The Chinese military said it conducted exercises around Taiwan in a fresh act of retaliation Meeting between US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Al Jazeera President Tsai Ing-wen. China’s People’s Liberation Army said today that the exercises were a warning to the Taiwanese who want to make the de facto independence of the island of Taiwan permanent.

The island’s defense ministry said nine warships and 71 aircraft had been spotted near Taiwan, parts of which crossed the center line of the strait separating the island from the mainland. He said the planes included Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-11 and Shenyang J-16 fighters. “This is a serious warning against collusion and provocation between the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external forces,” said a statement from the People’s Liberation Army of China. The Common Sword exercise is a “necessary measure to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Taiwanese military said that missile defense systems had been activated and air and sea patrols were being sent to track down the Chinese plane. “We condemn such an irrational act that threatens regional security and stability,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense. “We will never give way to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities in any form, and we will definitely take resolute measures to defeat any foreign interference,” the official Xinhua news agency quoted Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for the government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying. “The complete reunification of our country must and can be achieved without a doubt,” Zhu said.