Days after the island’s vice president visited the US, the Chinese military began conducting drills surrounding Taiwan as a “stern warning” against what it dubbed cooperation between “separatists and foreign forces,” according to the defense ministry.
In order to strengthen ties with his government’s final South American diplomatic partner, Paraguay, Taiwanese Vice President William Lai recently traveled there, stopping in San Francisco and New York City along the way.
The ruling Communist Party on the mainland asserts that democratic Taiwan is a part of its territory and that it has no right to manage international ties.
A brief statement from a representative for China’s Eastern Theater Command stated that the military drills tested the coordination of ships and aircraft as well as their capacity to seize control of the air and water.
Shi Yi claimed that it was also a test of the army’s “actual combat capabilities.” He noted that the exercises in the skies and waterways to Taiwan’s north and southwest served as a warning against potential provocations from both domestic and foreign forces.
The leadership posted video of the maneuvers online, which included footage of soldiers sprinting as well as military aircraft and boats.
According to state-run television station CCTV, the exercise included fighter jets and boats with missile systems, and the units cooperated to replicate Taiwan’s surroundings.
The Taiwanese defense ministry reported on the social networking site X, formerly known as Twitter, that starting at 9 a.m., its personnel had spotted 42 Chinese military aircraft. during Saturday.
According to the report, 26 of them passed the unofficial Taiwan Strait midline, which is regarded as a barrier between the island and the mainland. The joint combat patrol included eight other ships, according to the statement.
According to the ministry, Taiwan responded to the drills by deploying aircraft and ships, activating land-based missile systems, and closely monitoring the situation.
In a separate statement, the ministry also vehemently denounced the “irrational, provocative moves.” It said that its forces have “the ability, determination, and confidence to safeguard national security” and that they will be ready to respond to any threats from the Chinese army.
It said that the Chinese military exercises displayed a militaristic mentality and shared a video of past military exercises on Facebook.
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