Taiwan has sent its forces to respond to China’s exercise and defend the island’s sovereignty, says Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense.
The Chinese army has started joint military exercises around Taiwan, Chinese state media reported.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, China’s military began an exercise around Taiwan early Thursday morning local time.
According to Xinhua, the exercises will take place in the Taiwan Strait, in the south and east of Taiwan, and around several islands in the area. According to Chinese state television channel CCTV, China has released a map of where military exercises will be held on Thursday and Friday.
Taiwan has sent naval, air and ground forces to respond to China’s exercise and defend the island’s sovereignty, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense says. According to the ministry, Taiwan condemns China’s military exercises.
– The Ministry of Defense strongly condemns such irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability, the ministry said.
Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te took office on Monday. China has criticized Lai and called him, among other things, a dangerous separatist.
According to Xinhua, a military spokesman Li Xi said that the exercises would focus, among other things, on joint sea and air combat readiness and precision strikes on key targets.
The spokesman said the drills would also serve as “a strong punishment for the separatist actions of the Taiwan Independence Forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces.”
A Taiwanese official, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, says China’s military exercises are part of a scenario Taiwan had foreseen.
China considers the democratically governed Taiwan to be part of its territory.
Several military exercises
China’s actions around Taiwan have occasionally raised concerns about a possible invasion. Relations between China and the United States have been severely tested in recent years due to the Taiwan issue. The United States is an important supporter of Taiwan.
The last time China announced similar military exercises around Taiwan was in August last year, after then-Vice President Lai stopped in the United States during his visit to Paraguay. China organized large-scale military exercises in the region also in 2022, when the then speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
Sources: AFP, Reuters, STT
The story was completed on 23.5. at 5:15 in the background from previous military exercises.