Taipei [Taiwan], September 26 : Taiwan's government on Thursday criticised China's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, calling it "an effort to disrupt regional peace and stability."
According to the Chinese Defence Ministry's statement shared on social media, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at 8:44 a.m. on Wednesday, Taiwan focus reported. The missile carried a simulated warhead and landed in international waters, the statement said.
Taiwan's Presidential Office criticised China's efforts to disrupt regional peace and stability, urging Beijing to practice self-restraint and act responsibly.
The Cabinet emphasised that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, would collaborate closely with the United States and other like-minded nations to uphold regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Additionally, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that numerous countries in the Indo-Pacific region have voiced concerns about China's "irresponsible actions," Taiwan Focus reported.
The ministry stated that Taiwan will persist in collaborating with like-minded nations to limit the spread of authoritarianism and collectively protect peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) accused Beijing of "sabre-rattling" over the test and live-fire drills by the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command in the Yellow and Bohai seas.
Taiwan's MND accused China of generating a "false sense of peaceful dialogue" by allowing the head of the PLA's Southern Theatre Command to engage in overseas exchanges while the military drills were taking place.
Starting at 8 a.m. on Thursday, the Ministry of National Defence reported that 29 Chinese aircraft were spotted near Taiwan, with 21 of them crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or extending into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the northern, central, and southwestern regions of the island.