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The Irish Times (9 August 2022)

Kathrin Hille 

Taipei has warned that China could use military drills around the island to establish control over the entire Taiwan Strait, impeding international shipping and air traffic and strengthening Beijing’s efforts to deny the US military access to the area.

The warning from foreign minister Joseph Wu came as the People’s Liberation Army said it was extending joint air and naval exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday for a second day. The live-fire drills, which were called in retaliation to a visit by US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei last week, were originally scheduled to last for four days ending on Sunday.

“China has openly declared its ownership over the Taiwan Strait,” Mr Wu said. “It aims to influence the international community’s freedom of navigation in the waters and airspace of the Taiwan Strait by denying the status quo that it is an international waterway.”

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