TAIPEI, April 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday that it spotted 16 Chinese warplanes operating near the island the previous day, around the same time China's president was
Taiwan Spots 16 Chinese Warplanes as Xi Jingping and KMT Leader Meet in Beijing
Escalating Tensions Amid High-Level Cross-Strait Meeting
Chinese Military Activity Near Taiwan
TAIPEI, April 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday that it spotted 16 Chinese warplanes operating near the island the previous day, around the same time China's president was meeting the Taiwanese opposition leader.
Xi Jinping Meets KMT Chairwoman in Beijing
Statements from Chinese Leadership
Late on Friday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) in Beijing, where Xi said he "absolutely would not tolerate" independence for Taiwan, which China views as its own territory.
Purpose of the KMT Visit
Cheng has portrayed her visit as a reconciliation mission to lessen tensions, and told Xi she looked forward to the KMT and Communist Party advancing the "institutionalisation" of peace across the Taiwan Strait.
Details of the Warplane Incursion
Taiwan's Defence Ministry Report
Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily report on Chinese military activity in the previous 24 hours, said that 16 Chinese warplanes flew near the island from mid-morning to mid-afternoon on Friday. Xi and Cheng met at 11 am (0300GMT).
Reactions from Taiwan
Official Statements on China's Tactics
Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister at Taiwan's China-policy-making Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters in Taipei on Saturday that using military coercion against Taiwan as a means of applying pressure for political negotiations has always been China's "go-to tactic".
Contradictory Signals from China
"So on one hand we see them sending out messages of peace, while on the other hand they continue to use military force to pressure Taiwan without letup," he added.
China's Silence
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.
KMT's Perspective on Peace and Reconciliation
Statements from KMT Vice Chairman
In Beijing, KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung said that the key to promoting peace lies in offering Taiwan's people a choice between peace and reconciliation, or war.
Peace with Dignity
Engaging with China and promoting cross-strait peace yields "peace with dignity," not the bowing of one's head to "shake hands" like Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has said, Chang added, according to a KMT statement.
Response from Taiwan's Presidential Office
Concerns Over Sovereignty
Lai's office said on Friday night that what the Xi-Cheng meeting sought to highlight was that "Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China" and to advance "the annexation of Taiwan".
Taiwan's Future Decided by Its People
"Taiwan's future can only be decided by the Taiwanese people themselves," Lai's spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
