TAOYUAN, Taiwan - Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai returned on Friday from a sensitive visit to the United States, a trip China has condemned and which has brought warnings from Taiwanese officials that it could prompt more Chinese military drills near the island.
"Because of everyone's hard work, Taiwan's power is stronger and stronger, and it showed the international community that Taiwan is a force for good, that the international community really pays great attention to Taiwan," he said after returning to Taiwan's main international airport in Taoyuan.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and denounced the transit stops in the US, calling Mr Lai a separatist and a "troublemaker".
Taiwanese officials have said that China is likely to conduct military exercises this week near the island, using Mr Lai's US stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of 2024's presidential election and make them "fear war".
Democratically governed Taiwan has so far not reported any unusual Chinese military movements near the island.
Amid heightened tensions between China and the US, there has been a flurry of military posturing and drills from both sides in recent weeks.
This story is from the August 19, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the August 19, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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