China announces military drills around Taiwan
The Chinese military says it’s dispatching army, navy, and air and rocket forces to conduct drills around Taiwan, further fuelling cross-strait tensions.
Chinaâs military has moved army, naval, air force and rocket force units around Taiwan for âlarge-scale military drills, aimed at testing combat readiness and delivering a âstern warningâ against âmoves toward Taiwanese independence.
The Eastern Theatre Command said the Just Mission 2025 drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, â in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours.
This marks Chinaâs sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi âvisited the self-governed âisland, and follow a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijingâs territorial claims âafter Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
âThis (the drills) serves as a serious warning to âTaiwan Independenceâ separatist forces and external interference forces,â Shi Yi, a spokesperson for Chinaâs Eastern Theatre Command said in âa statement.
âThe exercise focuses on training for âmaritime and aerial combat readiness patrols, gaining integrated control, sealing off key ports and areas and conducting multi-dimensional deterrence.â
The military âreleased a poster titled Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions, featuring two golden shields emblazoned with âthe Chinese Peopleâs Liberation Army insignia and the Great Wall of China, along with three military aircraft and two ships.
Taiwanâs defence ministry did not immediately ârespond âto a request for comment.
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While the âPLA had carried out port blockades around Taiwan during âwar games last year, this marks the first time it has publicly stated that drills around the island are aimed at âdeterrenceâ of outside military intervention.
The drills began 11 days after the US announced $US11.1 billion ($A16.5 billion) in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the island, drawing a protest from Chinaâs defence ministry and warnings the military would âtake âforceful measuresâ in response.
Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of China, separated from the mainland in 1949 amid Civil War. It has operated since then with its own government, though the mainlandâs government claims it as sovereign territory.
â with AP
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