After China's 'resolute' response threat, one Chinese aircraft, three warships detected around island, says Taiwan

New Delhi: Hours after China threatened a “resolute” response to high-level meeting between Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday, Taiwan on Thursday claimed that one Chineses anti-submarine helicopter and three warships had been detected around the self-ruled island.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said in a statement, “1 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 am (UTC+8) today”

“Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities,” the statement added.

Also read: China condemns high-level US meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, vows ‘resolute’ response

The statement came after Tsai met McCarthy in California during a stopover on her way back from a trip to Guatemala and Belize.

McCarthy hosted Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday as a “great friend of America” in a fraught show of US support at a rare high-level, bipartisan meeting on US soil.

Speaking carefully to avoid unnecessarily escalating tensions with Beijing, Tsai and McCarthy steered clear of calls from hard-liners in the US for a more confrontational stance toward China in defense of self-ruled Taiwan.

Instead, the two leaders stood side by side in a show of unity at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, acknowledging China’s threats against the island government but speaking only of maintaining longstanding U.S. policy.

“America’s support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering and bipartisan,” McCarthy said at a press conference later.

China condemns Tsai’s US visit

Later Wednesday, China said it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” Tsai’s visit, according to a release from China’s national Xinhua News Agency under the name of Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson.

China will take “resolute and forceful measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the release said. It urged the U.S. “not to walk further down the wrong and dangerous road.”

Meanwhile, Taipei’s Mainland Affairs Council, the island’s top China policy-making body, on Wednesday accused Beijing of “obstructing” trade in the Taiwan Strait with on-site inspections on cargo and passenger ships.

Chinese maritime authorities had earlier said they were stepping up patrols in the waters separating the island from mainland China without providing more details.

“The Chinese side’s action deliberately escalates cross-strait tensions,” the MAC said.

“It is a clear violation of the cross-strait shipping agreement and maritime practice which will have a serious adverse impact on the normal traffic between the two sides.”

With inputs from agencies

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