Russia says China has right to conduct Taiwan military exercises
- Beijing has carried out the last of three days of drills around the self-governed island of Taiwan, which China views as part of its territory
- Kremlin spokesman said ‘you and I have witnessed actions provocative toward China’, which has ‘sovereign right’ to respond, according to ‘international law’
The Kremlin said on Monday that China had every right to respond to what it called repeated “provocations” against it and carry out military exercises around Taiwan.
Beijing on Monday carried out the last of three days of drills around the self-governed island – including practising aerial and naval blockade manoeuvres – which China views as part of its own territory, something Taiwan’s government strongly disputes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said everyone should respect China and its actions which were in line with international law.
“In a very short period of time, you and I have witnessed repeated actions that have been provocative toward the People’s Republic of China,” said Peskov.
“And, of course, China has the sovereign right to respond to these provocative actions, including conducting military manoeuvres in strict compliance with international law.”
Peskov also suggested that France, whose president Emmanuel Macron visited China for talks last week, could not broker peace in Ukraine as Paris is “both indirectly and directly involved in this conflict on the side of Ukraine. Therefore, it is still difficult to imagine any mediation efforts here”.
During his trip, Macron called on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to “bring Russia back to its senses” over Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the European Union expressed concern on Monday over China’s military drills, saying Taiwan’s status should not be changed by force as any escalation, accident or use of force there would have huge global implications.
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“We are concerned by the intensification of military activities of the People’s Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan, with incursions in Taiwanese Air Defence Identification Zone and crossing of the median line,” EU Commission spokeswoman for foreign affairs Nabila Massrali said.
“The status quo should not be changed unilaterally or by force. Any instability in the Strait resulting from escalation, accident or use of force would have huge economic and security implications for the region and globally,” she said.
“It is key to exercise restraint. Tensions should be resolved through a meaningful and open dialogue. The EU and its member states will continue supporting efforts aiming to preserve peace and stability in the region.”
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told media in Beijing that the military exercises were a “necessary step to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
He said pro-independence forces and foreign forces working in league with them in the Taiwan Strait are the “greatest threat to peace and stability”.
He reiterated that Taiwan is a “purely internal China affair”.
Additional reporting by dpa
