China using military drills as ‘excuse’ to prepare for invasion: Taiwan's foreign minister

Taiwan's foreign minister warned that China was using the military drills it launched in protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit as an excuse to prepare for an invasion of the self-ruled island.

Taiwan's foreign minister said on Tuesday that China was using the military drills it launched in protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit as an excuse to prepare for an invasion of the self-ruled island.

Joseph Wu told a press conference in Taipei that Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its own, would not be intimidated even as the drills continued with China often breaching the unofficial median line down the Taiwan Strait.

"China has used the drills ... to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan," Wu said, urging international support to safeguard "peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait".

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"It's conducting large-scale military exercises, missile launches as well as cyber attacks, a disinformation campaign and economic coercion in an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan."

Wu spoke as military tensions simmer after the scheduled end on Sunday of four days of the largest-ever Chinese exercises surrounding the island - drills that included ballistic missile launches and simulated sea and air attacks in the skies and seas surrounding Taiwan.

China's Eastern Theatre Command announced on Monday that it would conduct fresh joint drills focusing on ant-submarine and sea assault operations - confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would keep up the pressure on Taiwan's defences.