The government yesterday condemned China’s test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, calling it “an attempt to undermine regional peace and stability.”
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at 8:44am on Wednesday, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said in a statement posted to social media later that day.
The missile carried a simulated warhead and landed in international waters, the statement said.
Photo: Reuters
The launch was part of the PLA Rocket Force’s routine annual training, the ministry said, adding that it complied with international law and was not directed against any country or target.
However, government agencies in Taipei yesterday condemned the missile test.
The Presidential Office said in a statement that the launch was a Chinese attempt to undermine regional peace and stability.
It called on Beijing to exercise self-restraint and be a responsible regional actor.
The Cabinet said that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan would work closely with the US and other like-minded countries to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that many countries in the Indo-Pacific region had expressed concerns about China’s “irresponsible actions.”
Taiwan would continue to work with like-minded countries to curb the expansion of authoritarianism, and jointly safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.
The range of the missile covers most countries in the South Pacific, but Beijing did not announce in advance its projected path or landing point, the Mainland Affairs Council said, calling it “bad behavior that seriously endangers regional security.”
This deliberate display of military force has raised regional tensions, and drawn concern from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, it added.
The Ministry of National Defense accused Beijing of “saber rattling” over the test and live-fire drills by the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command.
It accused China of creating the “illusion of peaceful dialogue” by having the head of the PLA’s Southern Theater Command conduct overseas exchanges while the drills were ongoing.
In related news, beginning at 8am yesterday, 29 Chinese aircraft were detected near Taiwan, including 21 that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone off the northern, central and southwestern areas of the country, the defense ministry said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu
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