China completes military exercises near Taiwan
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The Chinese Army says its three-day military maneuvers east and southwest of Taiwan are concluded.
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The exercises were held on May 6-8 at sea and in the airspace east and southwest of Taiwan
The Chinese People's Liberation Army said Beijing has conducted military exercises near Taiwan.
The maneuvers, according to the Eastern Theater Command, were held on May 6-8, both at sea and in the airspace east and southwest of Taiwan. The purpose of the drills was to increase the combat capability of the Chinese armed forces in joint operations, according to the statement.
Following the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) defeat by the Communist Party in the 1949 civil war, the KMT alienated Taiwan, its stronghold, from the Chinese mainland. Informal contacts were resumed in the late 1980s.
Read more: Explaining Taiwan: The Balance of Relations between the US and China
The People's Republic of China upholds the One-China principle, by which it asserts its sovereignty over Taiwan, and opposes official contacts by foreign countries with the island.
Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that Washington sees no indication that China is planning to attack Taiwan.
Kirby was asked to comment on remarks by Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that China wants the ability to "invade" Taiwan by 2027.
The US, along with many other countries, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and officially sticks to the "One China" policy. Nevertheless, Washington has kept informal relations with the island and is selling it billions of dollars worth of weapons.
Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Washington told Sputnik that the US should stop selling weapons to Taiwan, as Beijing reserves the right to respond to any foreign meddling.
