The Ministry of National Defense on the island of Taiwan said on Saturday that the latest military exercises by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China in the region were "irrational" and "provocative."
Beijing has already "caused substantial damage to regional security" and the latest action by the PLA highlights China's "militaristic mentality," the ministry in Taipei claimed.
The island's military will "dispatch appropriate troops ... to respond with practical actions to protect freedom, democracy, and the sovereignty of the Republic of China [Taiwan]."