Friday, 19 May 2023

LIVE UPDATES - Russian Forces Wipe Out Ukrainian Arms, Ammo Depots With Precision Weapons

LIVE UPDATES - Russian Forces Wipe Out Ukrainian Arms, Ammo Depots With Precision Weapons

LIVE UPDATES - Russian Forces Wipe Out Ukrainian Arms, Ammo Depots With Precision Weapons




©Defense Ministry's Press Service






Russian forces hit Kiev’s large foreign equipment and armament depots and army reserves with seaborne and air-launched precision weapons, destroying substantial weapon and ammunition stockpiles during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.







"Last night, Russian forces delivered multiple strikes by seaborne and air-launched long-range high-precision weapons against large foreign armament and equipment depots and enemy reserves. The goal of the strikes was achieved. All the designated targets were hit. The strikes destroyed considerable stockpiles of the Ukrainian army’s armaments and ammunition and thwarted the advance of reserves to the areas of combat operations," the spokesman said.



Russian forces eliminate 60 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area



Russian forces destroyed roughly 60 Ukrainian troops, two armored vehicles and a howitzer in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


Combat aircraft and artillery from Russia’s western battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Novomlynsk and Kotlyarovka in the Kharkov Region, the spokesman specified.


"The enemy’s losses in that direction in the past 24 hours totaled 60 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and a D-20 howitzer," the general reported.


Units of the Russian army’s 138th and 27th motorized infantry brigades neutralized two enemy subversive/reconnaissance groups by their active operations, the spokesman added.



Russian forces destroy over 75 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area



Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, destroying over 75 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army’s personnel and equipment in areas near the settlements of Ploshchanka and Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.


In all, "over 75 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, four armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed" in that direction in the past 24 hours, the general reported.









Russian forces eliminate two Ukrainian subversive groups in LPR



Russian forces eliminated two Ukrainian subversive groups in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"Units of the 98th air assault division eliminated two subversive/reconnaissance groups near the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.



Russian forces destroy 200 Ukrainian troops, mercenaries in Donetsk area



Russian forces destroyed roughly 200 Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"The enemy’s losses in that direction amounted to 200 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles and two Gvozdika motorized artillery systems," the spokesman said.



Russian assault teams continue battles for Artyomovsk



Russian assault teams continued battles for Artyomovsk in the Donetsk area with the paratroopers’ support over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"In the Donetsk direction, the assault teams continued the battles for the liberation of Artyomovsk with the active support of Airborne Force units. Operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from the southern battlegroup struck the enemy manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.


During the last 24-hour period, aircraft flew seven sorties in that area. The battlegroup’s artillery accomplished 72 firing objectives, the general specified.



Kiev suffers 150 casualties in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas



Russian forces killed and wounded roughly 150 Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy artillery guns in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


Aircraft and artillery of Russia’s battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units near Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.


"The enemy’s losses amounted to 150 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded, five motor vehicles, a Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile launcher, an FH70 howitzer and a US-made M777 artillery system," the general reported.



Russian forces destroy 35 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area



Russian forces destroyed roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and an armored vehicle in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.








"Over 35 Ukrainian personnel, an armored combat vehicle and three motor vehicles were destroyed in the Kherson direction in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman reported.



Russian combat aircraft down Ukrainian Su-24 frontline bomber in DPR



Russian combat aircraft shot down a Ukrainian Su-24 frontline bomber near Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 plane near the settlement of Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.



Russian air defenses down Mi-8 helicopter in Ukraine operation



Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter, intercepted four HIMARS and Uragan rockets and destroyed 11 enemy drones over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near the settlement of Novopavlovka in the Zaporozhye Region. During the last 24-hour period, they intercepted four rockets of the HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems," the spokesman said.


In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Pologi and Romanovskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Gorlovka, Peski, Blagodatnoye and Volodino in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Nikolayevka, Novovodyanoye and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general specified.



Russian forces strike 68 Ukrainian artillery units in past day



Russian combat aircraft struck 68 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions and destroyed a US-made counter-battery radar over the past day, Konashenkov reported.


"During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 68 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 97 areas," the spokesman said.


"In the area of the settlement of Krivaya Luka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar was obliterated," the general reported.


In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 428 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 234 helicopters, 4,208 unmanned aerial vehicles, 423 surface-to-air missile systems, 9,218 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,100 multiple rocket launchers, 4,843 field artillery guns and mortars and 10,284 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.














Kontingen SEA Games Indonesia disambut meriah saat tiba di Bandara Soekarno Hatta

Kontingen SEA Games Indonesia disambut meriah saat tiba di Bandara Soekarno Hatta

Timnas Badminton, Timnas U22, Kontingen SEA Games disambut meriah saat tiba di Bandara Soekarno Hatta










Para atlet Indonesia yang berlaga di Sea Games 2023 tiba di terminal tiga Bandara Soekarno Hatta, sekitar pukul 23:40 WIB haru Rabu, 17/05/2023, Semua pemain, atlit disambut dengan sangat meriah.







Cabor bulu tangkis atau badminton yang menjadi juara umum di ajang Sea Games 2023 tersebut disambut meriah, termasuk oleh Ketua Komite Olimpiade Indonesia Raja Sapta Oktohari bersama perwakilan Kemenpora.


Saat para pemain tiba dan langsung memasuki podium untuk prosesi pengalungan bunga skuad Garuda Muda dapat sambutan meriah.


Podium tidak saja disiapkan untuk menyambut tim Merah Putih, melainkan semua cabang olahraga yang tampil di SEA Games 2023.


Cabang olahraga bergantian menggunakan podium tersebut dan tepat pada hari Kamis, 18/05/2023.






Lokasi podium acara penyambutan itu berada di area selasar Gate 3 atau persis depan pintu kedatangan Domestik Terminal 3 Bandara Soekarno-Hatta, Tangerang, Banten.


Sejak tiba hingga prosesi pengalungan bunga, suporter terus menyanyikan yel-yel.


Setelah para pemain timnas U-22 Indonesia menerima bunga dan menyapa suporter.


Wakil Ketua Umum PSSI, Zainudin Amali pun berterima kasih kepada semua pihak yang telah mendukung timnas U-22 Indonesia hingga berhasil meraih medali emas.


“Tentu kita ingin mengucapkan syukur kepada Allah SWT atas berkenanya maka timnas Indonesia yang tampil di SEA Games Kamboja,” ujar Zainudin Amali kepada awak media di Bandara Soekarno-Hatta, Tangerang.


“Alhamdulillah meraih medali emas setelah 32 tahun kita rindukan medali itu,” ucapnya.


Tak lupa Amali pun menyampaikan pesan dari Ketua Umum PSSI, Erick Thohir.


Menurutnya Ketua Umum menyampaikan salam.








Tanpa dukungan dan doa dari pecinta sepak bola Tanah Air, skuad Garuda Muda tak akan meraih medali emas.


“Untuk itu atas nama PSSI saya menyampaikan salam dari Ketua Umum Erick Thohir dan seluruh jajaran pengurus, terima kasih atas dukungan dan doa kepada seluruh masyarakat Indonesia yang sudah memberikan dukungan kepada timnas,” kata Amali.


“Sehingga kita meraih gelar juara dan merebut medali emas untuk dibawa kembali ke Indonesia,” lanjutnya.


Tak hanya kepada pihak-pihak terkait yang memberi dukungan tim Merah Putih saja.






Akan tetapi, Amali juga berterima kasih kepada timnas U-22 Indonesia dan semua ofisial pelatih.


Sebab perjalanan timnas U-22 Indonesia hingga meraih medali emas sendiri tak mudah.


Meski pada babak penyisihan Grup A, tim Indra Sjafri melaju ke final dengan sempurna.


Tetapi, saat babak semifinal melawan Vietnam.


Pertandingan penuh drama pun telah dirasakan tim Merah Putih karena jual beli serangan terus dilakukan.


Meski akhirnya timnas U-22 Indonesia unggul tipis pada injury time melalui gol Muhammad Taufany dan Garuda Muda menang 3-2.


Kemenangan itu membuat timnas U-22 mendapatkan tiket ke final.


Selama pertandingan perebutan medali emas pun berlangsung penuh drama.


Dua gol timnas U-22 diwaktu normal berhasil dicetak Ramadhan Sananta pada menit ke-20 dan 45+5.








Namun, Thailand sempat menyamakan kedudukan lewat Anan Yodsangwal (64') dan Yotsakon Burapha (90+7').


Tetapi, pada perpanjangan waktu, timnas U-22 sukses menambah tiga gol.


Tim Merah Putih berhasil menyetak gol dan unggul melalui Irfan Jauhari (91'), Fajar Fathur Rahman (106'), dan Beckham Putra Nugraha (119').


Dengan hasil tersebut, timnas U-22 Indonesia meraih kemenangan dan sukses membawa pulang medali emas yang telah absen selama 32 tahun tersebut.


“Terakhir makasih kepada tim pslatih coach Indra Sjafri, manajer dan semua ofisial, dan Rizky Ridho dan teman-teman, terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya atas nama federasi, atas nama PSSI, atas dedikasi pengabdian, serta prestasi luar biasa yang sudah ditunjukkan untuk membanggakan Indonesia,” tutur Amali.


Lebih lanjut, Amali mengatakan hasil ini memang yang terbaik untuk timnas U-22 Indonesia.


Akan tetapi, Amali mengingatkan ini baru awal untuk bisa memperbaiki prestasi Indonesia lebih baik ke depannya.


“Sekali lagi kita akan mulai prestasi ini dan kita akan tatap ke depan, insya Allah sepak bola Indonesia akan semakin maju ke depan, ujar Amali.


“Terima kasih sekali lagi. Saya akhiri mudah-mudahan ini jadi awal bagus buat kita,” pungkasnya.


Sementara itu, timnas U-22 Indonesia dikawal oleh suporter hingga ke hotel.


Flare juga mewarnai kedatangan timnas U-22 Indonesia tepat di depan hotel.














Thursday, 18 May 2023

Piala Sudirman 2023: Indonesia 2 Thailand 3

Piala Sudirman 2023: Indonesia 2 Thailand 3

Piala Sudirman 2023: Indonesia 2 Thailand 3










Hasil Sudirman Cup 2023 hari ini, Kamis 18 Mei 2023, Grup B antara Indonesia menghadapi Thailand di Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre Cina. Indonesia kalah dengan skor 2-3 dari Thailand.







Laga ini penentu tim mana yang akan menjadi juara dan runner-up grup B Piala Sudirman 2023. Kedua tim telah dipastikan melaju ke babak perempat final.


Hasilnya Indonesia menjadi runner-up dan Thailand menjadi juara grup B Piala Sudirman 2023, skor 2-3.


Thailand kemudian merebut tiga partai pertama, untuk unggul 0-3 atas Indonesia. Thailand menang di ganda campuran, partai tunggal putra dan tunggal putri.


Aksi dari Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti ketika menggawangi tim Indonesia di Piala Sudirman 2023 kala melawan Thailand, Kamis (18/5/2023). (Instagram @badminton.ina Verified)


Ganda campuran, Dejan Ferdinansyah/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, menyerah di tangan Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, 17-21, 19-21.


Pemain tunggal putra Indonesia, Jonatan Christie, kalah usai bermain rubber game melawan Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Jojo kalah 21-12, 12-21, dan 20-22.


Sementara tunggal putri, Putri Kusuma Wardani, ditundukkan Pornpawee Chochuwong, dengan skor 21-15, 14-21, dan 17-21.


Dua angka yang diraih Indonesia datang dari partai keempat dan kelima yakni ganda putra dan ganda putri.


Pasangan ganda putra no 1 dunia, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto membungkam Supak Jomkoh/Kittinupong Kedren, straight game, 21-11, 21-19.







Sedangkan pasangan ganda putri Apriani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti mengalahkan Jongkolphan Kittitharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai setelah bermain rubber set, skor 21-17, 19-21, dan 21-13.


Di babak 8 besar nanti, tim badminton Indonesia berpotensi menghadapi China, Korea, dan Malaysia.



Skuad Badminton Indonesia di Piala Sudirman 2023



Tunggal Putra


  1. Anthony Sinisuka Ginting
  2. Jonatan Christie


Tunggal Putri


  1. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung
  2. Putri Kusuma Wardani


Ganda Putra


  1. Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto
  2. Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
  3. Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Martin


Ganda Putri


  1. Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti
  2. Ribka Sugiarto/Lanny Tria Mayasari


Ganda Campuran


  1. Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari
  2. Adnan Maulana/Nita Violina Marwah
  3. Dejan Ferdinansyah/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja


China Juara Grup A Sudirman Cup 2023



China memastikan diri menjadi juara Grup A Sudirman Cup 2023, setelah untuk sementara unggul 3-0 dari Denmark di match terakhir grup.


Dalam match yang memakai format best of five di Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Kamis malam WIB, 18/05/2023, China menang di tiga partai awal, yakni ganda campuran, tunggal putra, dan tunggal putri.


Saat ini sedang berlangsung partai keempat yang mempertemukan ganda putra, lalu disusul nanti partai terakhir di nomor ganda putri.








Meski tak lagi berpengaruh untuk match, semua partai di fase penyisihan grup tetap digelar, termasuk jika satu tim sudah unggul 3-0.


Tunggal putri China Chen Yu Fei. Foto: diambil dari bwf



Daftar tim lolos perempat final Sudirman Cup 2023



Sejauh ini, delapan tim lolos perempat final Sudirman Cup 2023 sudah ditentukan. Tinggal Grup A dan Grup B yang masih harus menentukan status juara grup.


Berikut daftar selengkapnya:


China (Grup A)
Denmark (Grup A)
Thailand (juara Grup B)
Indonesia (runner-up Grup B)
Malaysia (juara Grup C)
China Taipei (runner-up Grup C)
Korea Selatan (juara Grup D)
Jepang (runner-up Grup D)


Akan kembali dilakukan undian babak gugur alias permpat final Sudirman Cup pada hari ini, Kamis 18 Mei 2923 setelah pertandingan terakhir babak grup.


Hasil undian akan mempertemukan juara grup dengan runner-up grup, kecuali untuk tim-tim dari grup yang sama.


Artinya, Indonesia yang sudah dipastikan sebagai runnner-up akan berhadapan dengan juara grup lain, ada kemungkinan lawan Malaysia, Korea Selatan, atau China yang juara grup A.



Link Streaming Piala Sudirman 2023



Bolaneters dapat menyaksikan live streaming Sudirman Cup 2023 melalui siaran langsung MNC TV atau klik link live streaming RCTI+ berikut ini:


https://www.rctiplus.com/tv/mnctv


*jadwal dan live streaming dapat berubah-ubah, tergantung kebijakan pemegang hak siar


Nah itu dia daftar lengkap tim lolos perempat final Piala Sudirman Cup 2023. Dukung terus para pebulutangkis Indonesia!





















Watch Russian Amphibious Combat Vehicles Wipe Out Ukrainian Stronghold

Watch Russian Amphibious Combat Vehicles Wipe Out Ukrainian Stronghold

Watch Russian Amphibious Combat Vehicles Wipe Out Ukrainian Stronghold










The stronghold was spotted by a reconnaissance group of the Russian Airborne Forces, who used an unmanned aerial vehicle to track the Ukrainian soldiers’ position.







The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released a video of the BMD-4M amphibious combat vehicles obliterating a stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the special military operation zone.


Commenting on the footage, the MoD said that “the crews of the BMD-4Ms opened heavy fire at the enemy with a 30-mm automatic cannon at point-blank range."


According to the ministry, the crews also used a 100-mm cannon to destroy the personnel of the stronghold. The Russian Airborne Forces’ scout group tracked the stronghold’s position with the help of a drone, the MoD added.



Watch Russia’s Su-34 Pilots Take to the Skies in Special Op Mission



The Su-34 warplanes use missile armament of various classes as they cover actions by Russian Armed Forces units in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released a video of the Su-34 fighter-bombers’ combat work in the special military operation zone.


Сommenting on the footage, the ministry noted that pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces perform the missions patrolling the air and protecting Russian troops at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.






According to the MoD, the Su-34s utilize missiles of various classes when conducting the flights.



Special operation, May 17th. Main:



▪️The Kinzhal missile system destroyed a multifunctional radar station and 5 launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in Kyiv on May 16, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.


▪️Losses of the Ukrainian army per day in the Kupyansk and Krasnolymansk directions amounted to over 180 military, in the Donetsk direction - 360, the RF Ministry of Defense reported


The grouping of the Russian Armed Forces "Vostok" in the South-Donetsk and Zaporizhia directions destroyed up to 150 Ukrainian soldiers per day, the Ministry of Defense reported







▪️The RF Armed Forces launched a group attack on a large ammunition depot of Ukraine in Nikolaev, an observation post of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was hit in the Kherson region, the Ministry of Defense reported


▪️In the DPR on Wednesday, 5 people became victims of Ukrainian shelling, 23 were injured, Pushilin said


▪️In Russia, the serial production of the latest high-power air missile "Armor-piercer" has begun, it is planned to use it in the Northern Military District, Deputy General Director of the Tekhmash Concern Alexander Kochkin told RIA Novosti


▪️The head of the British Ministry of Defense said that Ukraine's entry into NATO before the end of the conflict is impossible


▪️President of South Africa intends to come to Ukraine with a peace initiative, Zelensky is ready to accept him, Ukrainian media reports.



Ukrainian publications write about a large number of explosions tonight in various regions



▪️The first reports appeared late in the evening on May 17, there were reports of explosions in Odessa and the Kharkov region. The authorities of the Odessa region later reported that one of the explosions took place at an industrial facility.


▪️Air alert was announced throughout the country, closer to the morning there were reports of explosions in Khmelnitsky (the authorities of the region said that an infrastructure facility had been hit) and Vinnitsa regions.


▪️Explosions were also reported in Kharkov and Kyiv - the mayor of the capital, Klitschko, wrote that air defense forces were working in the city.






















Ensuring regional security not feasible via NATO expansion — Chinese foreign ministry

Ensuring regional security not feasible via NATO expansion — Chinese foreign ministry

Ensuring regional security not feasible via NATO expansion — Chinese foreign ministry




Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin
©EPA-EFE/MARK R. CRISTINO






It is impossible to ensure European security by expanding military blocs, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Thursday.







"It is impossible to ensure regional security by means of strengthening and expanding military blocs. One country’s security should not be ensured at the expense of the security of others,"he said in response to a TASS request to comment on published remarks by Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State (1973-1977) and National Security Advisor to two presidents (1969-1975), about Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO.


China expects all parties to the conflict to adhere to a common, comprehensive and sustainable security concept, Wang added. According to the senior diplomat, this could be achieved through dialogue and consultations based on respect for the legitimate security interests of all parties.


On May 17, The Economist magazine published an interview with Kissinger, who will turn 100 years old on May 27. In the interview, the doyen of US diplomacy and veteran practitioner of geopolitics said that Ukraine should become a member state of NATO. According to him, Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance would be in the interests of both Kiev and Moscow, and would serve as a guarantee against any future attempts by the Ukrainian leadership to resolve territorial disputes by military means.


Kissinger acknowledged that he had changed his point of view about Ukraine's potential membership in NATO, saying he would prefer to avoid a situation wherein Ukraine became a non-aligned neutral state.


On May 15, the Washington Post reported, quoting sources, that the NATO countries had decided not to send Ukraine an invitation to become a member of the alliance at its upcoming summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, but are discussing the possibility of stepping up cooperation with Kiev and potentially establishing a timeframe for its entry into the military bloc. According to the authoritative US publication, a consensus exists among the alliance’s members that, in spite of Kiev's fervent pleas, NATO will not be extending an official invitation to Ukraine to join the bloc during the Vilnius summit on July 11-12.


NATO adopted a political declaration at the Bucharest summit in April 2008 that Ukraine would eventually become a NATO member, but declined to provide a Membership Action Plan (MAP), the first step in a prospective member country's legal procedure for joining the organization. In February 2019, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) approved amendments to Ukraine's constitution enshrining its NATO aspirations into law. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Kiev was seeking to obtain an understanding of a specific date by which Ukraine could expect to join the alliance.



China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs meets with Zelensky — Chinese MFA



China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, has met with President Vladimir Zelensky during his visit to Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing on Thursday.


"During Special Representative Li Hui's visit to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky met with him. Li also held meetings with other Ukrainian officials," Wang said.







According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui visited Kiev on May 16-17. He said that there was no universal method for resolving the Ukrainian crisis. China will provide assistance in its own way for handling the problem.


Earlier, it was reported that Li held separate meetings with the chief of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andrey Yermak, and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.



China Fires Back at 'Washed-Up' Liz Truss Over Taiwan Speech



Truss has become the most senior British politician to visit Taiwan since former UK PM Margaret Thatcher made the journey to the island in the 1990s.


Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has urged her successor Rishi Sunak to designate China a "threat" to her country’s national security.


In a speech in Taiwan's capital Taipei on Wednesday, Truss called on the British prime minister to deliver on language he used during last summer's Conservative Party leadership contest. At the time, he described China as the "biggest long-term threat to Britain," while also pledging to close all of Beijing's Confucius Institutes in the UK.


She warned the West against working with China, in her condemnation of “totalitarian regimes.” "We know what happens to the environment or world health under totalitarian regimes that don't tell the truth - you can't believe a word they say," according to Truss.


The former British PM claimed that China is "undertaking the biggest military build-up in peacetime history” and that “they have already made their choice about their strategy,” adding "the only choice we have is: do we appease and accommodate that strategy or do we take action now?" On Taiwan, she called for a "more coordinated approach” so that the island “has the defense it needs" in the face of China’s potential "invasion". She added that Western countries "need not to engage in further economic dialogue with China while it takes this aggressive stance."


The remarks сome as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that "washed-up British politicians use Taiwan to draw attention to themselves," in an apparent nod to Truss.


The statement followed the Chinese Embassy branding Truss’ visit to Taiwan as a "dangerous political show which will do nothing but harm to the UK."








"This provocative move has caused strong indignation among the Chinese people and will be firmly rejected by people with conscience from all walks of life," the embassy emphasized.


Truss visiting Taiwan makes her the most well-known UK politician to travel to the island since former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s trip in the 1990s. The five-day visit by Sunak’s predecessor to Taiwan comes as ties between Beijing and London are at their worst in decades.


A new comprehensive review of the UK’s security, defense and foreign policy, in particular, refers to China as a threat to Taiwan.


Tensions between mainland China on the one hand, and Taiwan and countries boosting cooperation with the island on the other hand, escalated after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August 2022. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and held large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island in a retaliation move.


Beijing perceives Taiwan, which has been governed indecently since 1949, as an unalienable part of China’s sovereign territory and opposes any official contacts between the island and other countries. Taipei insists that is an autonomous nation but stops short of declaring independence.


Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.