US commander says it’s ‘very important’ to respond to Chinese fire around Taiwan

China’s decision to launch missiles around Taiwan must be answered as “irresponsible,” US commander said at a roundtable in Singapore.

The people’s army China carried out important sea and air maneuvers around Taiwan two weeks ago, including the launch of ballistic missiles in waters close to its territory in response to the President’s trip House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi.

China Taiwan, with a population of around 23 million, is considered one of its provinces that has so far failed to reunite with the rest of its territory since the end of civil war in china (1949).

“It is very important that we respond to this kind of action,” the vice admiral said. United States Seventh FleetCarl Thomas to reporters in Singapore.

“If we let it happen and don’t respond, it will become the norm afterwards,” he said. “It is irresponsible to launch missiles at Taiwan in international waters where sea lanes and free navigation operate,” he added.

What is the Seventh Fleet?

7th Fleet it’s based on Japan and is an important element of the US naval presence in the Pacific.

vice admiral Thomas drew a parallel between the threat Taiwan and behavior Beijing in the sea South Chinawhere for years it has been building a whole series of military installations on the atolls over which it claims almost complete sovereignty.

“If you do not challenge it (…) immediately, it may end like islands in the sea South China which became military outposts” Beijingsaid.

“At present, these are full-fledged military outposts, with missiles, large airstrips, hangars, radars, listening posts,” he said.

China announced on Monday that he had organized new military exercises around Taiwanin response to the arrival of five US lawmakers on the island on Sunday.

army Taiwan He replied that he would conduct air exercises on Wednesday evening in the coastal city of Hualien.

In another pressure movement, Beijing imposed sanctions on seven high-ranking officials Taiwan (mainly representatives Democratic Progressive Partyin government) for being “hard-line separatists,” according to the official news agency ChinaXinhua.

AFP