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Taiwan has warned that its domestically produced Yun Feng supersonic cruise missile can reach Beijing.
You Si Kun, president of the Legislative Assembly, threatened China in response to claims the Taiwan Strait is not international waters.
In his speech on Taiwan Overseas Network, You told Xi Jinping to think twice before invading Taiwan, saying they will not shy away from using their secretive missile.
Taiwan has warned that its domestically produced Yun Feng supersonic cruise missile (pictured) can reach Beijing
A carrier-based J-15 fighter jet takes off from the Chinese Navy’s Liaoning aircraft-carrier during open-sea combat training
He also outlined plans to develop a more self-sufficient military to prepare for a potential conflict with their superpower neighbour.
You compared Taiwan to Ukraine in its defiant will to defend its sovereignty, and insisted they should prepare for what could be an inevitable invasion.
The Yun Feng missile is believed to have begun development after the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis when missile tests were carried out by the People’s Republic of China.
It had been believed that the missiles originally had a range of 600 miles but the updated version has an estimated range of 1,200 miles, putting Beijing in its sights.
Beijing is located around 1,150 miles from Taiwan.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by Beijing, which views the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be re-taken one day
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by Beijing, which views the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary.
The narrow waterway that separates Taiwan and mainland China is a flashpoint, with Beijing often reacting angrily to passages by foreign warships.
The United States and other countries view the Strait as international waters open to all.
In recent years Western warships have sailed through the strait, drawing Beijing’s anger.
But on Monday, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said ‘China has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait’.
‘It is a false claim when certain countries call the Taiwan Strait ‘international waters’ in order to find a pretext for manipulating issues related to Taiwan and threatening China’s sovereignty and security,’ he added.
It had been believed that the missiles originally had a range of 600 miles but the updated version has an estimated range of 1,200 miles, putting Beijing in its sights
Taipei on Tuesday hit back, criticising Beijing’s remarks as ‘wrong’ and ‘unacceptable’.
‘China… blatantly violates Taiwan’s sovereignty and damages international maritime order to endanger regional peace and stability,’ the ruling Democratic Progressive Party said in a statement.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said such comments were a ‘fallacy’.
‘The Taiwan Strait is international waters, and the waters outside our territorial waters are subject to the ‘freedom of the high seas’ principle of international law,’ she told reporters.
Taiwan has always respected the actions of foreign ships in the Taiwan Strait that comply with international law, including innocent passage, Ou said.
‘We understand and support the U.S. freedom of navigation missions’ contribution to promoting regional peace and stability.’
The foreign ministry condemned Beijing for ‘deliberately distorting international rules to belittle the Taiwan Strait as its own Exclusive Economic Zone’.
‘China’s attempt to annex Taiwan is obvious,’ it said in a statement, adding that Taipei supports ‘freedom of navigation’ passages by US ships.
US warships periodically sail through the Taiwan Strait, while British, Canadian, French and Australian warships have all made passages in recent years.
In March, China’s Shandong aircraft carrier and a US destroyer transited through the strait, shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning to Joe Biden that ties could suffer if there was a ‘mishandling’ of Taiwan’s status.
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