Beijing to begin a series of live-fire drills near Taiwan’s coastline after vowing ‘consequences’ following Pelosi’s trip to Taipei; Taiwan characterises drills as a violation of international law
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including it military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.
[We] encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”