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US, EU and other democracies slam mainland China for military drills around Taiwan, urge ‘restraint’
- Call for preserving status quo goes out after Beijing launches exercises surrounding self-governed island following William Lai’s inauguration speech
- Global group representing 250 lawmakers decries PLA drills as ‘affront to peace in the region and a direct challenge to the international community’
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Mark Magnierin New York
The European Union as well as lawmakers from the US, Britain and other democracies criticised mainland China’s extensive military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday, warning that the drills threatened to destabilise the region and stoke cross-strait tension.
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“The EU has a direct interest in the preservation of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” the European body said in a statement. “We oppose any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion.”
“All parties should exercise restraint and avoid any actions that may further escalate cross-strait tensions, which should be resolved through dialogue.”
Beijing on Thursday launched military air-and-sea exercises around the self-governed island following Monday’s presidential inauguration of William Lai Ching-te from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Lai was elected in January.
Some 33 Chinese military aircraft, 15 naval vessels and 16 coastguard vessels were operating within Taiwan’s air-defence identification zone, the island’s defence ministry said in a statement.
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