China stages military exercises as US lawmakers visit Taiwan

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China says its military has staged exercises to reinforce its threat to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, as U.S. lawmakers visiting Taiwan made a pointed and public declaration of support for the self-governing island democracy while issuing a warning to China. The six lawmakers met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday morning and were also scheduled to meet with the island’s defense minister. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the drills staged by the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command in areas opposite Taiwan were “a countermeasure to the recent negative actions of the U.S., including the visit of a delegation of lawmakers to Taiwan.”