Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announces detection of Chinese military exercises across the Taiwan Strait
Experts interpret “warning against groups claiming Taiwanese independence”
It has been discovered that China’s People’s Liberation Army has recently conducted military training involving long-range rockets, conventional missiles, and amphibious troops around Taiwan.
According to China’s official Global Times on the 25th, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it had detected military training involving aircraft, ships, and ground troops in Dacheng Bay on Dongshan Island, Fujian Province, eastern China, on the morning of the 24th.
This exercise, which was conducted over the past two weeks, involved the largest ever fleet of ships and aircraft, and introduced new training methods, including the inclusion of an aircraft carrier battle group.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has reported the Chinese military’s aircraft and ship activities every day for the past several years, but last Thursday (21st) reported that it had detected the Chinese military’s long-range rocket artillery, rocket artillery missiles, and ground activities around Dacheng Bay for the first time.
Dacheng Bay is a military landing training ground on mainland China, facing Taiwan Island. Taiwanese analysts estimated that the exercise could include amphibious landings and follow-up tactical maneuvers.
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Qiu Kuo-cheng said on the 22nd that the People’s Liberation Army’s recent movements were “very unusual,” local media reported.
The Chinese military has recently been increasing its military activities near Taiwan. This month, 103 People’s Liberation Army fighter jets were seen around Taiwan Island on the 17th and 20 warships on the 11th, breaking the Chinese military’s record for aircraft sorties and ship activities in one day. In addition, in the middle of this month, the aircraft carrier Shandong’s battle group conducted five days of training in the western Pacific waters east of Taiwan Island, and eight other Chinese military ships joined.
Experts believe that this move sends a warning to those advocating Taiwanese independence and external forces.
A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity said, “This is to demonstrate the level of combat preparedness of the People’s Liberation Army and its ability to control the situation in the Taiwan Strait,” adding, “It is a warning and deterrent to separatist forces and external intervention forces that claim ‘Taiwan independence.’ “There is also an aspect for that,” he said.
There are also claims that the United States may have been involved in disclosing information about Chinese military activities. Song Jung-pil, a Chinese military expert, said, “It is highly likely that the United States provided information to Taiwan.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.