China launches military drills around Taiwan

Gulf Today Report

China announced on Saturday the starting of three days of military exercises around Taiwan, a move that comes just days after the island's president met the US House Speaker in defiance of repeated threats by Beijing, according to IANS. 

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theater Command announced the drills Saturday, describing them as "a serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces' collusion with external forces, and a necessary move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity", reports CNN.

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The exercises, dubbed "United Sharp Sword", would feature "combat ready patrols and exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait, and to the north, south and east of Taiwan and the sea and airspace as planned," Senior Colonel Shi Yi of the Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on Saturday.

The drills would focus on the country's "capabilities to seize control of sea, air and information under the support of our joint combat system", CNN quoted the PLA as saying.

The three-day drills, announced the day after Tsai returned from the United States.

Soon after the announcement by China, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said it had detected a total of 42 Chinese warplanes over the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the Chinese mainland.

It said 29 Chinese warplanes had crossed the median line in the strait into its air defence identification zone.

It added that eight PLA vessels had been spotted in the strait, CNN reported.

The drills come a day after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a 10-day visit to Central America and the US where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The three-day drills, announced the day after Tsai returned from the United States, had been widely expected after China condemned her Wednesday meeting with Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

Kevin McCarthy (2^nd right) welcomes Tsai Ing-wen as she arrives in US on April 5, 2023. File/AP

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's claims.

Beijing's announcement also came just hours after China hosted a visit by senior European leaders.

The People's Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, having said earlier it would be holding them in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan "as planned".

"This is a serious warning to the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces' collusion and provocation, and it is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Chinese army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.

The People's Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Saturday morning it spotted 42 Chinese fighters - J-10s, J-11s and J-16s, crossing the median line that normally serves as an unofficial batter between the two sides, as well as eight Chinese ships.

China was using Tsai's US visit "as an excuse to carry out military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security", the ministry said in a statement.

"The military will respond with a calm, rational and serious attitude, and will stand guard and monitor in accordance with the principles of 'not escalating nor disputes' to defend national sovereignty and national security."

Chinese state media released what it said was footage of the drills, set to stirring martial music and showing warships at sea and fighter jets doing airborne refuelling. Reuters could not authenticate when or where the material was shot.