China announces new military drills as US politicians visit Taiwan
China has announced more military drills around Taiwan as the island’s president met members of a US congressional delegation in a further sign of support by US lawmakers for the self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own.
The visit came less than two weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, which prompted days of threatening military exercises by China, including the firing of missiles over the island and into the Taiwan Strait.
China regards formal contacts between US politicians and the island’s government as support for its independence from Beijing.
Additional joint drills in the seas and skies surrounding Taiwan were announced by the People’s Liberation Army on Monday, the Defence Ministry and its Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.
