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| Taiwan flags can be seen at a square ahead of the national day celebration in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Oct 8, 2021. (File photo by=Reuters/Ann Wang) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] TAIPEI: China's military threats against Taiwan will only increase support for the island from the United States and other democracies, the foreign ministry said after China conducted drills nearby as US lawmakers visited Taipei, Reuters reported.
Beijing blamed the lawmakers, who included chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez, for raising tensions with their "provocative" trip. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory. In a statement late on Friday (Apr 15), Taiwan's Foreign Ministry condemned China's "recalcitrant and ridiculous" reaction to the visit, the first by a group of US lawmakers this year. "The threat of force by the Chinese Communist Party's totalitarian government against Taiwan will only strengthen the Taiwanese people's will to defend freedom and democracy, and will also attract support for democratic Taiwan from the United States and even more democratic partners," it said.
Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the United States and other like-minded countries to defend the free and open Indo-Pacific region, and prevent China's "continuous expansion", the ministry said. Taiwan has been heartened by the US support offered by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly talked of its "rock solid" commitment to the democratically governed island. Taiwan's government says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future.
