Taiwan reports near doubling of Chinese warships nearby
Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan's defense ministry said on Sunday that China had nearly doubled the number of its warships operating around the island in the previous 24 hours, ahead of what security sources expect will be a new round of war games.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has been angered by visits by President Lai Ching-te to Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam as part of a Pacific tour. Lai returned from the week-long trip on Friday night.
Beijing has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan this year.
In its daily morning report on Chinese military activities, Taiwan's defense ministry said there were 14 Chinese warships operating nearby, up from the eight it reported the previous day.
The ministry said it had detected four Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait, one of which had brushed the top of the island.
Weather will likely be a factor in China's decision on any war games, security sources say. Weather in the strait has been poor this weekend.
China's defense ministry did not answer calls to its news office seeking comment outside of office hours on Sunday.
But in a strongly worded commentary on its WeChat account on Sunday, China's Ministry of State Security said Lai's efforts to "use arms to seek independence" and cosy up to the United States were doomed to fail.
Taiwan's government is putting on a "false display of power" while the U.S. government is "acting in cahoots with gangsters and jackals" in supporting Taiwan, it said.
"No country, organization or individual should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and powerful capacity of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.
No one should presume they can "step out of line on the Taiwan issue without having to pay a price," the ministry added.
Lai and his government reject Beijing's sovereignty claims.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard)
