Missile Boats, Fighter Jets, China’s Military Drills Around Taiwan

Beijing: China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a “stern warning” to the self-ruled island’s government following a meeting between its president and the US House speaker. Dubbed “United Sharp Sword”, the three-day operation — which state media said includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan — will run until Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, pledging to work with “the US and other like-minded countries” in the face of “continued authoritarian expansionism”. China’s war games would send planes, ships and personnel into “the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island’s east”, said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

A report from state broadcaster CCTV said: “The task force will simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture.” The report went on to detail the type of weaponry China was putting through its paces, including “long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers”. Taiwan’s defence ministry released a video showing external forces and against their provocative activities,” the PLA’s Shi said. “The operations are necessary for safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Taiwan’s defence ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday.

The ministry expressed “solemn condemnation of such irrational actions”, adding the detections included 29 jets that crossed into Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the highest number in a single day this year, according to data collected by AFP. China was using Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”, the Taiwanese ministry said. The drills also follow the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who were in China to urge Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

External forces and against their provocative activities,” the PLA’s Shi said. “The operations are necessary for safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Taiwan’s defence ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday. The ministry expressed “solemn condemnation of such irrational actions”, adding the detections included 29 jets that crossed into Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the highest number in a single day this year, according to data collected by AFP.China was using Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”, the Taiwanese ministry said. The drills also follow the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who were in China to urge Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

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