China fires robots near Taiwan coast

  

 

China begins largest ever military exercise around Taiwan 

 

Of: 

 

Jacob Ruderstam 

 

Fanny Westling 

 

Published: Today 08.53 

 

Updated: Less than 3 hours ago

 

NEWS

 

China has begun its largest ever military exercise around Taiwan. 

 

 According to the island's Ministry of Defense, it is an attempt by China to disturb the peace in the region. 

 

- We will never let our interests be harmed, says China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

 

After Nancy Pelosi defied China's threats and visited Taiwan, the Chinese regime decided to begin military exercises around the island. 

 

According to the BBC,  it is the largest Chinese military exercise around the island ever. 

 

It started at 12:00 local time (06:00 Swedish time). 

 

The exercises will be conducted at six different locations in busy waters, and according to China, will involve long-range weapons.

 

 

China's exercises all around Taiwan and are the largest ever around the island. Photo: Illustration: Maria Sand 

 

In some locations, the exercises are to be conducted near the coast of Taiwan. 

 

- China has made the greatest diplomatic efforts, but we will never let our interests be harmed, says the country's foreign minister, Wang Yi, according to The Guardian. 

 

He also calls the US's behavior "manic, irresponsible and extremely irrational". 

 

According to AFP, China fired long-range missiles towards the Taiwan Strait between the countries on Thursday, which the Taiwanese government has also confirmed. 

 

 

Chinese helicopters fly over Pingtan Island, near Taiwan. Photo: HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP 

 

EU dissatisfied 

 

Ten minutes after the Chinese military began the exercises, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense responded to the message. 

 

They called China's behavior irrational and accused it of trying to disrupt peace and stability in the region. 

 

"We do not want any escalation, but we will not back down when it comes to our security and sovereignty," writes the Ministry of Defense on Twitter. 

 

The EU's foreign affairs chief is disappointed by China's decision.

 

“There is no justification for using a visit as a pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine from our countries to make international trips," he writes on Twitter.