Taiwan president denounces China's live-fire drills as ...

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday (Aug. 4) condemned the unprecedented launching of live-fire drills ... StayloggedinForgetpassword? Login Notyetamember？Register E-Mail 送出 返回登入頁 密碼設定成功，請使用新密碼登入  | Home Politics PresidentTsaiIng-wen.(PresidentialOfficephoto) PresidentTsaiIng-wen.(PresidentialOfficephoto) TAIPEI(TaiwanNews)—TaiwanPresidentTsaiIng-wen(蔡英文)onThursday(Aug.4)condemnedtheunprecedentedlaunchingoflive-firedrillsinsixzonesaroundTaiwanas"irresponsible"andvowedtodefendTaiwan'ssovereigntyandsecurityasa"bulwarkofdemocracyandfreedom." From1:56p.m.to4p.m.onThursday,thePeople'sLiberationArmy(PLA)launched11Dongfengballisticmissilesintothewaterssurroundingnorthern,southern,andeasternTaiwaninwaves,accordingtotheMinistryofNationalDefense.TheJapaneseDefenseMinistryalsoannouncedthatfiveballisticmissileslaunchedbyChinalandedinJapan'sexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ)andfourhadflownoverTaipei. Inatelevisedspeech,Tsaidenouncedthe"dangerouslaunchofmissilesintosomeofthebusiesttransportationcorridorsintheworld"as"irresponsible."ShesaidthisunderminesboththestatusquointheTaiwanStraitandthecountry'ssovereignty. Thepresidentemphasizedthatlive-firedrillsheightentensionsintheIndo-Pacificregionastheypresentan"unprecedentedthreat"toairandmaritimesafetyandinternationaltrade.ShethenurgedChinato"actwithreasonandexerciserestraint." TsaisaidTaiwanwill"neitherescalatenorinstigatedisputes."Thepresidentthenvowedto"resolutelydefendournation'ssovereigntyandsecurityasabulwarkofdemocracyandfreedom." ShesaidthatTaiwan'sarmedforcesareinastateofheightenedreadinessandarecloselymonitoringthemilitarydevelopmentsaroundthecountry.TsaipointedoutthatTaiwanisinclosecommunicationwithitsalliesandiscoordinatingwiththemtostemanyfurtherescalationoftheregionalsecuritysituation. AccordingtoTsai,Taiwan'snationalsecurityagenciesaremonitoringthesituationandcoordinatingwithothergovernmentdepartmentstoensurethatflightandshippingroutesremainopenandthatairportsandseaportscontinuetooperate.ShecalledonTaiwanesecitizenstorestassuredthatthegovernmentis"respondingwithasteadyhand." TsaireachedouttotheinternationalcommunityandhighlightedTaiwan'sroleinmaintainingapeacefulstatusquointheTaiwanStrait.Shesaid,"Wearecalmandwillnotactinhaste.Wearerationalandwillnotacttoprovoke.Butwewillabsolutelynotbackdown." ThepresidentcalledontheinternationalcommunitytobackTaiwanandjoinforcesinendingthese"unilateralandirrationalmilitaryactions."ShepledgedtoworkwithregionaldemocraticpartnersacrosstheglobetomaintainpeaceintheTaiwanStraitandtheregion. ShewarnedTaiwanesethatChinawilllikelylaunch"intensiveinformationwarfareoperations,"includingcyberattacksandattemptstocause"psychologicalunrest"throughdisinformationcampaigns.Todealwiththecyberattacks,Tsaihasdirectedgovernmentagenciestobeonaheightenedstateofalert,andtocombatinformationwarfare,shecalledonthemediatobe"evenmoremeticulouswhenfactchecking." AlludingtoastatementissuedbytheG7reiteratingtheircommitmenttopeaceandstabilityintheTaiwanStrait,TsaithankedtheG7andfriendlynationsfortheirsupport.ShesaidthatTaiwanwilldoitsparttomaintainthestatusquoandexpressedadesireforapeacefulresolutionbysaying"weremainopentoconstructivedialogue." Tsaiclosedbysaying,"Taiwandoesnotgiveintochallenges,anditneverwill."ShecalledonallcitizensandpoliticalpartiestojointogethertodefendTaiwan'sterritory,sovereignty,anddemocracy. TsaiIng-wenPresidentTsaiIng-wenlive-firedrillslive-fireexercisesMilitaryexercisesmilitarydrillsmissiletestsmissilelaunchNancyPelosiTaiwantripPLA Tweet VideoshowsTaiwanesesoldiershurlrocksat'CCPdrone'overKinmen 2022/08/2423:34 Taiwanisdeterminedandpreparedtodefenditself 2022/08/2417:30 TaiwanvowstoworkwithUSonmaking'democracychips' 2022/08/2415:05 Taiwanpresidentordersreviewsofpoliceresponse,minimum-securityprisons 2022/08/2318:07 BoeingsaysgreaterAsiaregionhasbiggestpotentialforlong-termgrowth 2022/08/2315:51 Updated:2022-08-2512:39GMT+08:00