China plans live-fire drills near Taiwan in latest show of military force
2 min read . Updated: 10 Apr 2023, 11:22 AM IST
Premium- China's war games involved sending planes, ships and personnel into ‘the maritime areas and air space’ around all four sides of Taiwan, the army said of the exercises.
China conducted three days of military exercises and planned to hold live-fire drills on Monday in response to Taiwan's president's meeting with the US House speaker, as reported by AP.
Chinese fighter jets and warships were involved in exercises that included simulating strikes on Taiwan. This move was met with condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington.
Dubbed "Joint Sword", the three-day operation has included rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.
China's war games involved sending planes, ships and personnel into "the maritime areas and air space" around all four sides of Taiwan, the army said of the exercises.
In Taiwan's Matsu archipelago, specifically on Beigan island, a 60-year-old chef named Lin Ke-qiang expressed to AFP that he does not want war. The island is within the eyesight of China's mainland.
"We, common people, just want to live peaceful and stable lives," Lin said, adding Taiwan's military was no match for China's. If any war happens, now that their missiles are so advanced, there's no way our side could resist. This side will be levelled to the ground."
A report from China's state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said, "drills had simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters", adding that forces "continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island".
The air force also deployed dozens of aircraft to "fly into the target airspace", and ground forces had carried out drills for "multi-target precision strikes", the report added.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen criticized the military drills carried out by China after her meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
She pledged to work with "the US and other like-minded countries" in the face of "continued authoritarian expansionism".
China's military exercises will continue with live-fire drills on Monday. The drills will take place off the rocky coast of Fujian province, around 80 km south of the Matsu islands and 190 km from Taipei.
According to the local maritime authority, China's live-fire drills scheduled for Monday will take place between 7:00am and 8:00pm around Pingtan, which is a southeastern island and China's closest point to Taiwan.
"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman, said about "Joint Sword".
According to the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, on Saturday, 45 Chinese aircraft had crossed the median line separating Taiwan from mainland China, which is the highest number of incursions this year.
Over the weekend, the ministry detected around 150 Chinese ships or aircraft, including drones, fighter jets, bombers, and transport aircraft.