A spokesperson for the Chinese military has previously said the exercise is a stark warning to the “separatist forces seeking Taiwan’s independence” and also to “external forces and their provocative activities”.
Just hours after the military exercise began on Saturday, China sent warplanes and warships toward Taiwan. The goal is to practice encircling Taiwan.
They have “simulated joint precision attacks against important targets on the island of Taiwan and the surrounding waters,” reports CCTV.
According to the Taiwanese defense minister, at least 59 Chinese warplanes were seen around the island on Monday, and 39 of these have crossed the so-called middle line of the strait towards Taiwan.
Tensions between the US and China
The Chinese exercise began after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen met US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles earlier this week. The meeting has angered China, which sees Taiwan as part of Mainland China and perceives any communication between the US and Taiwan as a provocation.
China’s actions have been condemned from Taipei. From Washington, which says it is “closely following Beijing’s actions”, there are calls for restraint.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has just returned from China, says that Europe should not “follow” either the US or China when it comes to Taiwan. The risk is to be caught in “crises that are not ours”.