China says it has carried out air and naval drills along its southeast coast after warning the USA against its plan to sell weapons worth 2.22 billion dollars to Taiwan.
The drills come in the wake of a further escalation in Sino-US relations over the planned arms sales to Taiwan and a visit by the self-ruled island’s unruly President Tsai Ming-yen to the United States.
China regards Taiwan as a wayward province, to be taken by force if needed. The rising superpower is becoming increasingly assertive with the USA over its inroads into the South China Sea which Beijing views a crucial backyard.
China’s southeast coast, where the drills were held, is one of the country’s most sensitive regions as it faces Taiwan across the narrow Taiwan Strait.
The US regime officially recognizes the “one-China” principle, under which Taiwan should rejoin China, but Washington is bribing Taipei in an attempt to counter Beijing.
On Monday, the Pentagon said the US State Department had approved a deal to sell $2.2-billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment to Taiwan.
The announcement angered China which said on Friday it would impose sanctions on US firms involved in the deal. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned the United States “not to play with fire”.
The developments are likely to prompt China to step up its assertive ways. China has in recent years expanded its military drills in response to the United States’ Asia pivot policy.
Blog Factory UK / ABC Flash Point WW III News 2019.
