China Holds Military Drills Following Pelosi's Taiwan Visit; US Postpones Missile Test
Summary from the AllSides News Team
As China raises tensions with military drills near Taiwan, the U.S. military is moving to avoid further provocation.
China's military is holding its largest drills relating to Taiwan since 1995 after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan last week. On Thursday, the People’s Liberation Army reportedly launched precision missiles into the ocean around Taiwan and simulated a blockade of the island, with exercises by its navy, air force and other departments in six different areas surrounding it. China's government views Taiwan as being under its control; Taiwan's government views it as a sovereign nation.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military confirmed Thursday that it would postpone a previously-scheduled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test "for a short period of time." White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that "As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating, instead, the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation."
News sources across the political spectrum covered China's military drills and the postponed U.S. missile test. Some voices who opposed Pelosi's Taiwan visit criticized her for purportedly escalating the situation.
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From the Left
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