© Getty Images China will “resolutely suppress any separatist activity.”
Beijing stated on Thursday, May 28, that Taiwan ought not to “meddle” in Chinese air force operations in the vicinity of the island, which occur within Chinese airspace. This statement was made in response to recent military exercises that Taipei has voiced concerns over, according to Reuters.
Taiwan asserted that China had carried out “combat air patrols” near the island on two occasions within the past week.
“Taiwan is a component of China. Our planes are conducting military drills inside Chinese airspace,” expressed Jiang Bin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry.
“It would behoove the armed forces that champion ‘Taiwan independence’ to abstain from meddling and instigation,” he further stated.
Jiang underscored that the Chinese military will proceed to strengthen its combat readiness, implement actions to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, and “firmly quell any secessionist undertakings and outside meddling.”
China has been exerting pressure on Taiwan by augmenting its military presence in the area around the island. Taipei has been cautious about further Chinese actions following a discussion between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Taiwan issue in Beijing earlier this month. China regards the democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. The AP, in its analysis of Trump’s remarks following the Beijing summit, indicated that the U.S. president has, to some extent, embraced Xi’s perspective on Taiwan.