China holds military drills around Taiwan to warn off ‘separatist forces’ – National

The Chinese military dispatched air, naval and rocket troops on Monday to conduct joint live-fire exercises around the island of Taiwanwhich Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist forces and “external interference”. Taiwan said it was putting its forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the greatest destroyer of peace.”

Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 100,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.

The drills came after Beijing expressed anger over what could be the United States’ largest ever arms sale to the self-governing territory and after a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan. China says Taiwan must submit to its domination.

The Chinese military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement Monday.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert. “The Chinese Communist Party’s targeted military exercises once again confirm its nature as an aggressor and the greatest destroyer of peace,” he said.

Beijing sends warplanes and warships to the island almost daily, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises.

Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, said the exercises would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Shi said activities would focus on air-sea combat readiness patrol, “jointly seizing comprehensive superiority” and blockading key ports. It was also the first large-scale military exercise in which the command publicly mentioned that one of the objectives was “deterrence in all dimensions outside the island chain.”

“It is a stern warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated under its own government ever since, although the mainland government claims it as sovereign territory.

The command deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as long-range rockets, to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait on Monday. It also conducted live fire exercises against targets in the waters. Among other training, exercises aimed at testing air-sea coordination and target hunting capabilities were conducted in the waters and airspace east of the strait.

Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of intelligence staff of Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating around the strait, of which 67 were entering the “response zone” – the airspace under surveillance and response by the force. At sea, the ministry detected 14 navy vessels around the strait and four other warships in the western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait… does not only mean military pressure on us. It could have more complex impact and challenges for the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh told reporters.

Military exercises are expected to continue on Tuesday. Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said Chinese authorities issued a notice that seven temporary danger zones would be established around the strait to conduct rocket firing exercises from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, banning aircraft from entering them.

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Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 850 international flights were initially scheduled during the period and the exercises would affect more than 100,000 travelers. More than 80 domestic flights, carrying around 6,000 passengers, were also canceled, the statement added.

The Chinese command published online thematic posters about the exercises accompanied by provocative terms. One poster depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. His social media post said the drills focused on the “Shield of Justice, Shattering Illusion,” adding that any foreign intruders or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions on 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan, valued at more than $10 billion. It still requires approval from the US Congress.

Under U.S. federal law in force for many years, Washington is obligated to help Taipei in its defense, a point that is increasingly controversial with China. The United States and Taiwan maintained formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when the administration of President Jimmy Carter recognized and established relations with Beijing.

There was no immediate U.S. statement on the exercises.

Karen Kuo, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s President’s Office, said the exercises undermined the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region and openly challenged international law and order.

“Our country strongly condemns Chinese authorities for ignoring international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries. » she said.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry released a video showcasing its weapons and forces in a display of resilience. Several French Mirage-2000 planes made landings at an air base.

In October, the Taiwanese government announced that it would accelerate the construction of a “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of the Chinese military threat.

The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “crashing waves and howling winds”, during a trip to Shanghai.

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