Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, denounced this Wednesday (20) the construction of “huge” military bases by the Chinese regime near Taiping, in the South Sea, an area controlled by Taipei.
Since the 1940s, there has been a Taiwanese Coast Guard garrison in the region, as well as a port, an airstrip and other civil infrastructure.
“China has established large military bases on the reefs surrounding Taiping Island, such as Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs. These situations must be taken into account”, said the minister in statements to the local press.
The area that involves hundreds of islands in the South Sea is claimed by several countries, such as Brunei, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, as it is a region rich in underwater oil and gas reserves, important fishing areas and one of the main maritime transport routes in the world.
Last Wednesday, Beijing was involved in another episode that generated warnings for Taipei, after sending 18 Chinese military planes to maritime areas close to the Taiwan Strait, the highest number since November last year, according to the Ministry of National Defense. (MDN) of the island.
The expeditions took place across the north, southwest and east of the Taiwan Aerial Identification Area. Despite being an unofficial border, the Strait’s midline has been respected by Taipei and Beijing for decades.
Infographics Gazeta do Povo[Clique para ampliar]
