Kremlin says China has every right to conduct Taiwan exercises, France cannot mediate in Ukraine

The Kremlin stated on Monday that China had every right to conduct military drills near Taiwan in retaliation for what it deemed to be repeated “provocations” against it.

Beijing conducted its final of three days’ worth of exercises surrounding Taiwan on Monday, including mock aerial and naval blockade maneuvers of the island, which China considers to be a part of its own territory but which Taiwan’s government vehemently denies.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, told reporters on the phone that everyone should respect China and its actions, which adhere to international law.

You and I have seen numerous aggressive measures against the People’s Republic of China in a very short period of time, Peskov added.

And, of course, China has the sovereign right to respond to these provocative activities, including by engaging in military exercises in strict accordance with international law.

Peskov also asserted that France, whose president Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese leaders last week, was unable to mediate a settlement in Ukraine because Paris is “both directly and indirectly on the side of Ukraine in this crisis. It remains challenging to envision any attempts at mediation in this situation.”