Taiwan’s foreign minister accused China on Tuesday of using U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taipei as a pretext for launching large-scale military drills in preparation for an eventual invasion.
Speaking to reporters, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu called Beijing’s military exercises in response to Pelosi’s trip a “serious provocation” and an attempt to overturn the status quo in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
“China has used the drills in its military playbook to prepare for invasion of Taiwan,” Wu said, citing Beijing’s exercises, missile launches, cyberattacks and trade sanctions as “an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan.”
“China has threatened Taiwan militarily for years, and it continues to upgrade its efforts,” he said. “This is a fact.”