Will work with the US to counter China's authoritarianism, says Taiwan
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Taipei: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday announced that the island nation will continue to work with the US and other democracies to face the "continued authoritarian expansionism" from China.
After Tsai came back from her trip to Central America, China announced three days of military exercises around Taiwan. Tsai then met with a US congressional delegation in Taipei led by House foreign affairs committee chairman Michael McCaul.
"In recent years we have faced continued authoritarian expansionism. Cooperation among democracies has become even more important. We will continue to work with the US and other like-minded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy," she said at the meeting.
Taiwan's defence ministry said it will respond to China's operation with a calm, rational, and serious attitude and monitor the situation based on the principle of not escalating conflicts and causing disputes. The ministry further reiterated the intention to defend Taiwan's "national sovereignty and security".
"We are doing everything we can in Congress to speed up these sales and get the weapons that you need to defend yourself, and we will provide training to your military, not for war, but for peace. It's important that all democracies stand together against tyranny and oppression, whether it be (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine to Communist China's acts of aggression against your nation and the Pacific," said McCaul.
China considers democratically ruled Taiwan as its territory. Tsai earlier this week met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles and the move angered China.
Beijing has termed the military exercises a "stern warning" to Taiwan's government.
A statement from the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said the three-day operation - United Sharp Sword - will run until Monday. Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman, said the war games will send planes, ships, and personnel into "the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east".