China announces military drills around Taiwan
The Chinese military has moved army, naval, air force and rocket force units around Taiwan for large-scale military exercises to test combat readiness and issue a “stern warning” against moves towards Taiwanese independence.
Just Mission 2025 exercises will include live-fire exercises on Tuesday, Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that included a graphic showing five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and airspace restrictions for 10 hours.
This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governing island, and follows an increase in Chinese rhetoric about Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
“These (exercises) serve as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces and foreign intervention forces,” Shi Yi, spokesman for China’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement. he said.
“The exercise focuses on training maritime and air combat readiness patrols, ensuring integrated control, closing important ports and areas, and conducting multidimensional deterrence.”
The Army released a poster titled Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions; This poster features two gold shields decorated with the “insignia of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Great Wall of China”, as well as three military aircraft and two ships.
Taiwan’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While the PLA has conducted port blockades around Taiwan during war games last year, this marks the first time it has publicly stated that drills around the island are aimed at “deterring” foreign military intervention.
The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced a US$11.1 billion ($16.5 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, the largest arms package ever; This prompted a protest from China’s defense ministry, which warned that the military would “take coercive measures” in response.
Taiwan, an island off the southeast coast of China, broke away from the mainland in 1949 during the Civil War. Although the mainland government claims it is sovereign territory, it has since operated with its own government.
with AP
