China defends military intrusions in Taiwan; cites national sovereignty

China has defended its provocative military measures against Taiwan after the former received flak from Taipei and other countries. China has said that the recent increase in its military exercises and warplane missions near Taiwan which have raised concerns around the region, were necessary to defend the nation's sovereignty and territory. Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesperson for the Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, asserted that the intrusion of Chinese warplanes was to 'fundamentally safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation'. 

"The purpose of the manoeuvres was to fundamentally safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and the vital interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The People's Liberation Army exercises are necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Ma told reporters at a biweekly news conference in Beijing.

Additionally, Beijing has also blamed Taiwan and its relations with other countries for heightening tensions. In response to Chinese aggression, Taiwan scrambled jets to intercept the Chinese aircraft and activated its missile air defence systems. Moreover, it is also working to boost its defences by buying new technology from the U.S. and developing domestic systems, including submarines.

Taiwan wants 'status quo': Tsai Ing-wen

Earlier on Sunday, Taiwan's President hit out at Beijing and called for the maintenance of the political status quo in a forthright speech that acknowledged rising pressure from China. The Taiwanese President vowed that her country would make sure that the status quo would not be altered. In a strong-worded message, she also said that Taiwan will not take the path China has laid out for it. 

“We will do our utmost to prevent the status quo from being unilaterally altered,” she said. China claims Taiwan as part of its national territory although the island is self-ruled.

“We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us,” Tsai said. “This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.” 

With inputs from AP 

Image: AP