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US slams China for conducting provocative activities near Taiwan: What you need to know
On Sunday, The United States slammed China for conducting "provocative" and "destabilizing" military activities, a day after Chinese fighter jets and bombers made their largest-ever incursion into Taiwan's air defense zone.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, "The United States is very concerned by the People's Republic of China's provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability,".
The comment followed a new record incursion on Saturday by 39 fighter jets, a day after Beijing marked its National Day by buzzing the self-ruled democratic island with 39 figther jets and a nuclear-capable H-6 bombers.
Taiwan, in its turn, sent our combat aircrafts to warn away the Chinese, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them.
The island’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by China, which views it as its territory and has pledged to one day seize it.
Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-Chang told reporters on Saturday, “China has been bellicose and damaging regional peace while engaging in many bullying acts.”
The US has promised to “continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability”.
“The US commitment to Taiwan is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” Price said.
China has yet to comment on its activities. It has previously said such flights were to protect the country’s sovereignty and aimed at “collusion” between Taiwan and the US, the island’s most important international backer.