Taiwan's President pledges stronger ties with US amid Chinese drills

Taiwan’s President Tsai-Ing wen pledged stronger ties with the United States during the visit of a top US diplomat Keith Krach. In a presidential office statement, Tsai thanked the US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs for attending the memorial service for late Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui and said that she hopes Taiwan and US continue to work together to promote peace, stability, prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific. 

Tsai’s comments incidentally come on the same day China sent 18 fighter jets to harry the island to express its anger at the trip. According to a statement by Taiwan's Defence Ministry, at least 18 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers crossed the median line on Friday morning. China had even denounced the US official’s visit to the self-governed island and called it a collision between the island. 

READ: Taiwan, US Pay Tribute To Island's Leader, 'Mr. Democracy'

Taiwan-China tensions 

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and is particularly upset, as well as concerned about the growing relations between Taipei and Washington. According to the US Department of Defence, China had not crossed the median line of the Taiwan strait for two decades from 1999 to 2019. However, last year in March, Beijing for the first time in many years manoeuvred across the line and since then there have been many instances of such violations by the Communist state. 

READ: Memorial Service For Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui

Taiwan's defence ministry on August 10 had informed that the country's air force intercepted Chinese fighter jets who had crossed the median line of the sensitive Formosa strait, separating the self-ruled island and mainland China. The alleged violation took place during the high-profile visit by the United States Secretary of Health Alex Azar, who became the first US politician to visit Taiwan in four decades. In June, Chinese fighter jets were intercepted by Taiwan on five different occasions.

China has on several occasions expressed its willingness to annex Taiwan by force and the United States says that it is for this reason that they supply the island nation with arms, so that peace and stability could be maintained in the region. However, the United States doesn't have any formal ties with Taiwan because of China's 'One China' policy which requires partners of Beijing to adhere to it.

READ: China Crosses Median Line In Taiwan Strait During US Envoy's Visit To Island

READ: China On Military Drills Near Taiwan; US Amb Leaving