China Calls Military Activity Near Taiwan a Response to US
 Peoples Liberation Army Air Force perform during an Airshow China presentation in Zhuhai, China.© Photographer: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images
(Bloomberg) -- China held what it said were new “military exercises” around Taiwan, linking them to recent US moves backing the self-ruled archipelago and the actions of what it called independence forces. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday the People’s Liberation Army was making “a resolute response to foreign connivance” and “a serious warning to Taiwan separatist forces.” [color=var(--neutral-foreground-rest)]
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Speaking at a regular press briefing, Mao pointed to “a series of wrong actions” by Washington, including the State Department in February [color=var(--accent-foreground-rest)]deleting a phrase from a fact sheet saying the US does “not support Taiwan independence.” Taiwan’s Defense Ministry referred to the PLA activity as a “joint combat readiness patrol,” saying in a statement the planes flew in sensitive zones around the main island and coordinated with naval vessels. The ministry said on X that a total of 43 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line in the strait as of early Tuesday — the most since a [color=var(--accent-foreground-rest)]record 111 in October last year. The PLA activity marks the latest move by Beijing to intimidate the government of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who it castigates as a separatist seeking independence. Beijing has stepped up its military activity around the democracy of 23 million people since Lai took office in May last year, and repeatedly pledges to bring Taiwan under its control someday, by force if needed.
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The US backs Taiwan militarily, largely by selling the archipelago weapons to defend itself — deals that irk China. Last week, the de facto American ambassador to Taipei, [color=var(--accent-foreground-rest)]Raymond Greene,said the US is trying to speed up the arms shipments. China has also been taking a tougher verbal tone with Taiwan recently. Last month, Wang Huning, who oversees Taiwan affairs for China, urged his nation to “shape the inevitable reunification of the motherland.” And over the weekend, China’s People’s Daily newspaper referred to him a “cornered dog.” The latest PLA maneuvers follow a speech last week in which Lai labeled China a “foreign hostile force” for the first time. He also rolled measures to counter Beijing’s infiltration of the Taiwanese military and other institutions. Read more about Taiwan, China and the US: Amanda Hsiao and Ava Shen of the political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said in a note Monday that China viewed Lai’s speech as “a major transgression,” and responded with 18 official commentaries blasting him from March 14 to 17. [color=var(--neutral-foreground-rest)]
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Still, they said China appeared to be otherwise showing restraint toward Taiwan, which “may reflect the leadership’s preference for maintaining reasonably stable ties with the US.” Beijing’s “focus on economic growth may also have moderated its response,” Hsiao and Shen wrote. Trade tensions between Beijing and Washington have been mounting since President Donald Trump took office, a development that threatens China’s economic recovery. Trump said Monday that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would visit Washington soon, and any meeting between the two sides could help them bridge their differences over [color=var(--accent-foreground-rest)]issues like fentanyl. --With assistance from Rob Fenner.
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