Several Chinese warships have stayed close to the unofficial dividing line between China and Taiwan since Monday and that the latter had dispatched an aircraft to monitor the situation
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. AP
New Delhi: Amid rising tensions over US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi set to visit Taiwan during the day, several Chinese warplanes flew dangerously close to the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Tuesday morning.
According to a report in Reuters, a source revealed that several Chinese warships have stayed close to the unofficial dividing line between China and Taiwan since Monday and that the latter had dispatched an aircraft to monitor the situation.
The escalated situation comes after Beijing warned Washington of severe consequences if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan during her upcoming tour of Asia. While US do not have any formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US elected official to visit the self-governing democratic island since 1997.
Meanwhile Reuters’ source has said that both Chinese warships and aircraft have been seen near the median line, which according to the person is provocative, considering, neither sides normally cross the median line.
The person even claimed that Chinese aircrafts repeated conducted tactical moves where they briefly touched the median line and circled back to the other side of the strait on Tuesday morning, while Taiwan aircraft were on standby.
As per a report by CNBC, China has repeatedly warned against Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, while the US has on Monday said it would not be intimated by Chinese ‘sabre rattling’.
The report further added that Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, in a statement has said it has full grasp of military activities near Taiwan and will appropriately dispatch forces in reaction to ‘enemy threats’.
China views visits by US officials to Taiwan, which it considers to be a part of its own, an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in the island. While Washington does not have any official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is bound by US law to provide the island nation with means to defend itself.
With inputs from agencies
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