After President Tsai writes to the Pope, China sends aircraft and ships to the vicinity of Taiwan.
On Jan. 25, just two days after President Tsai Ing-wen sent a letter to Pope Francis, Taiwan's military reported finding four Chinese planes and three navy vessels close to the island country.
At approximately six in the morning, Chinese military planes and navy boats were discovered. (Time zone). Nevertheless, the ministry stated that there was no evidence the plane had entered Taiwan's airspace or crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.
In response, the Taiwanese military sent out aircraft, naval ships, and land-based missile systems to observe Chinese military operations.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has upped its military pressure on the self-governing island, which has resulted in practically daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan. On January 23, the military of Taiwan spotted four warships and nine Chinese planes.
However, Tsai's letter to Pope Francis on January 23 stating that the CCP must respect Taiwan's democracy and freedom is what prompted the CCP to launch its most recent show of force.
Tsai cited a speech she gave in October last year in which she emphasized that war with China is “absolutely not an option” and that Taiwan is willing to engage with the CCP to reach a “mutually agreeable arrangement.”
“I made clear that only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait,” she stated.
The letter was sent in retaliation to the pope's World Day of Peace sermon on January 1.
Taiwan's lone diplomatic ally in Europe is the Vatican, and Taiwan has followed Pope Francis' efforts to normalize relations with the CCP with alarm. Only 14 nations officially recognize Taiwan, mostly as a result of Chinese coercion.
Since the 1949 conclusion of the Chinese civil war, Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy. However, the CCP views Taiwan as a province that broke away from mainland China and must be reunited with it by all means necessary.
