The U.S. has resumed $870 million in security assistance to Taiwan, prompting criticism from China, which views Taiwan as its territory. In response, China has commenced military drills near Taiwan and denounced the U.S. funding as a provocation. This situation follows recent incidents involving severed undersea cables in Taiwan’s waters, raising concerns about regional security.

The United States government has resumed approximately $870 million in security assistance programs for Taiwan, according to undisclosed officials. This action occurs against the backdrop of significant reductions in foreign assistance under the Trump administration, which have been challenged in courts. Shortly before a crucial deadline, the Supreme Court’s chief justice intervened to halt a federal judge’s ruling regarding the allocation of $2 billion in frozen foreign aid.

China’s government has rebuked the resumption of U.S. funding, stating it infringes upon China’s security interests concerning Taiwan, a self-governing island that China asserts as its own territory. China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, Wu Qian, issued a stark warning when stating, “We will come get you sooner or later,” directly referencing Taiwan. Additionally, Lin Jian, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, condemned the decision as fostering separatist sentiments in Taiwan.

Amid these tensions, China has initiated live-fire military drills in proximity to Taiwan’s main island. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry criticized these exercises, noting that China established a military drill zone approximately 40 nautical miles off its coast without prior notification. Over a recent 24-hour period, Taiwan monitored significant military activity, including 45 aircraft and multiple naval vessels from the Chinese military near its waters.

Furthermore, this month, Chinese naval vessels conducted live-fire exercises in international waters adjacent to New Zealand and Australia, prompting Australian authorities to caution commercial flights regarding the Chinese military presence. These drills followed Taiwan’s announcement that it had apprehended eight Chinese sailors from a vessel flagged by Togo, which anchored near a severed undersea cable of significant importance to Taiwan.

Remarkably, this incident marked the third occurrence in two years of an undersea cable being severed under dubious circumstances, with Taiwan suggesting that a Chinese ship might have caused the damage by dragging its anchor across the cable. Incidents concerning undersea cables have not been isolated to Taiwan, as investigations are underway regarding another Chinese-flagged ship linked to the severing of fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea last November.

The resumption of U.S. security aid to Taiwan has sparked tensions with China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory. Following this financial support, China has conducted military drills nearby and has criticized the U.S. for encouraging separatist sentiments in Taiwan. The situation highlights ongoing regional tensions, underscored by recent suspicious incidents involving undersea cables essential to Taiwan’s telecommunications.

Original Source: www.wesa.fm

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