China he said on Monday that he had “successfully completed” three days of military exercises around Taiwan in which he deployed dozens of planes to simulate attacks and an “air blockade” of the island, which it claims as part of its territory.
The drills are Beijing’s response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, a meeting China warned would elicit a strong response.
After three days of maneuvers, the Chinese military said yes “completed successfully” their exercises called “Joint Sword”.
The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement that the exercise “fully tested the integrated joint combat capability of multiple sectors of the military under combat conditions.
During maneuvers, Beijing simulated targeted attacks in Taiwan as well as the encirclement of the island, including its “sealing”, and state media reported that dozens of planes had practiced an “air blockade”.
According to the army, one of the two Chinese aircraft carriers, the “Shandong”, also took part.
The United States, which had repeatedly called for restraint on China, sent the destroyer on Monday “USS Milius” guided missile through disputed parts of the South China Sea.
“This freedom of navigation operation respected the rights, freedoms and legitimate uses of the sea,” the US Navy said in a statement, explaining that the ship had passed near the Spratly Islands, an archipelago claimed by China, Taiwan, the Philippines , Vietnam , Malaysia and Brunei and is approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Taiwan.
The deployment of the Milius immediately drew condemnation from China, which claimed that the ship had “illegally invaded” its territorial waters.
Beijing warned on Monday that Taiwan’s independence and peace on both sides of the strait are “mutually exclusive”and blamed the Taiwanese government and unnamed “foreign forces” for the tensions.
“If we are to protect peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, we must resolutely oppose any form of Taiwanese separatism,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
Russia, an ally of China, defended the maneuversand a Kremlin spokesman said Beijing has a “sovereign right” to respond to what Moscow calls “provocations.”
On Beigan Island, part of Taiwan’s Matsu Archipelago visible from mainland China, Lin Ke-qiang, a 60-year-old cook, he doesn’t want war
“We ordinary people just want to lead a peaceful and stable life,” Lin said, assuring the Taiwan military not a match for China.
“If there’s a war, now that their missiles are so advanced, there’s no way they can hold out. We’ll be wiped out,” he said.
China and Taiwan separated after a civil war in 1949. Beijing considers Taiwan, which has a democratic government, as part of its territory and has promised to reconquer it one day.
The location of the United States
United States of America was deliberately ambiguous on the possibility of defending Taiwan militarily and for decades has sold weapons to its government in self-defense and offered political support.
Tsai met McCarthy after a visit to Guatemala and Belize, two of the island’s last official allies, recently defeated by Honduras, which has established diplomatic ties with Beijing.
China has already carried out military maneuvers around the island in August 2022, in response to the visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy’s predecessor to lead the House of Representatives.
Tsai responded to the drills by pledging to work with “the United States and other like-minded countries” against the “continued authoritarian expansionism”.
Monday exercises it included live ammunition and took place off the rocky coast of China’s Fujian province, about 80 kilometers south of the Matsu Islands and 190 kilometers from Taipei, maritime authorities said Saturday.
A video posted on China’s Eastern Theater Command official WeChat account on Monday showed a pilot who claimed to have “arrived near the northern part of the island of Taiwan,” with missiles “in place”.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.