China is reportedly responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California a few days ago.
It is being reported that China is responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California this past week by starting military drills around Taiwan.
China has begun three days of military drills around Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait as its direct response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California held days ago.
Parts of the drills are expected to extend up to 12 days. WSJ notes that this is what greeted the return of Tsai to her home: “Hours after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taiwan on Friday night, Chinese maritime safety authorities said the country’s navy planned to conduct seven live-fire exercises over the course of 12 days off the coast of Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, starting Saturday morning.”
While the Wednesday meeting with McCarthy was presented by the allies as a show of democratic solidarity, Beijing had warned of “resolute measures” while deploying an aircraft carrier strike group off the self-ruled island’s coast.
Early Saturday, China launched live-fire “combat readiness patrols” until April 10, according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command. The drills are called United Sharp Sword and expand in scope from the north to south of the island, utilizing air and sea, particularly airspace to Taiwan’s east, the statement indicated.
The drills have already involved on Saturday a whopping 71 Chinese military aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, Reuters confirms.
China Sends Warplanes Near Taiwan For “Military Drills”
China is sending 71 warplanes near Taiwan on Saturday as the country kicks off three days of military drills and “combat readiness patrols.” These war drills come just days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen meet with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
According to a report by the Japan Times, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, which oversees operations in the East China Sea including the Taiwan Strait, said in a short statement that the “Joint Sword” drills and combat patrols were being held in the waters and airspace to the north, south, and east of Taiwan and would conclude on Monday. “This is a serious warning against the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces’ collusion and provocation with external forces, and it is a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Eastern Theater spokesman Senior Col. Shi Yi said.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said later in the day that it had detected 71 Chinese aircraft and nine naval vessels around the island as of 4 p.m. It said 45 of the warplanes had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a division designed to keep military aircraft from both sides at a safe distance in order to prevent miscalculations from erupting into conflict. –Japan Times
A separate report from China’s state-run CCTV showed apparent footage of the drills, adding that the Chinese military would “simultaneously organize patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture.”
Live fire drills have also begun and will be ongoing until April 20th.
NEW – Taiwan’s military has detected 71 Chinese aircraft and 9 vessels today
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