BEIJING (AP) \u2014 China said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House Speaker\u00a0Nancy Pelosi\u2019s visit\u00a0to the self-ruled island, despite international calls to calm the tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The People\u2019s Liberation Army said the exercises focused on testing its long-range air and ground strikes. It did not say if it will continue the drills after Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan said that it continued to detect several batches of Chinese aircraft, ships and drones operating around the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island and mainland China, and \u201csimulating attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.\u201d Taiwan\u2019s defence ministry said it detected a total of 66 Chinese aircraft and 14 Chinese warships conducting joint naval and air exercises around the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan deployed air reconnaissance patrols, naval ships, and shore-based missiles, and said that it will continue to closely monitor the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan\u2019s official Central News Agency meanwhile reported that Taiwan\u2019s army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung County on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The drills will include snipers, combat vehicles, armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters, said the report, which cited an anonymous source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China set up no-go areas around Taiwan for the four-day drills it announced immediately after Pelosi\u2019s trip to Taipei on Tuesday and Wednesday that infuriated Beijing, which saw it as a violation of the \u201cone-China\u201d policy. China claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan\u2019s Ministry of National Defense emphasized that its military was surveilling the situation and had dispatched aircraft and ships to respond accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called on the international community to \u201csupport democratic Taiwan\u201d and \u201chalt any escalation of the regional security situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China has so far conducted missiles strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan, and sent warships across the Taiwan Straits median line. It has also cut off\u00a0defense and climate talks\u00a0with the U.S. and imposed sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Biden administration and Pelosi say the U.S. remains committed to the \u201cone-China\u201d policy that recognizes Beijing as the legitimate government but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. however criticized Beijing\u2019s actions in the Taiwan Strait, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling them \u201cfundamentally irresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no need and no reason for this escalation,\u201d Jean-Pierre said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Singapore\u2019s coordinating minister for national security Teo Chee Hean said in a Facebook post Saturday that the U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan is \u201can issue that can lead to conflict and war to the detriment of all parties involved, especially the people in Taiwan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tensions have a negative impact on Southeast Asia, Teo said, adding: \u201cWe hope that wisdom will prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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