China conducts fresh military drills around Taiwan
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Beijing continues its large-scale military drills around Taiwan that were expected to be concluded on Sunday.
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The Chinese drills were expected to be concluded on Sunday, but neither Beijing nor Taipei confirmed their conclusion
China carried out fresh military drills around Taiwan Monday, Beijing said, days after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island escalated tensions between the two powers.
Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.
The US official's visit to Taipei triggered a series of Chinese large-scale military drills east of the Taiwan Strait.
The drills were expected to be concluded on Sunday, but neither Beijing nor Taipei confirmed their conclusion, though Taiwan's Transport Ministry said it had seen some evidence suggesting at least a partial drawdown.
On Monday, China said the drills were ongoing, reporting that "the eastern theatre of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island."
The exercises, the Chinese military's Eastern Command said, were "focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations."
Beijing is set Monday to carry out live-fire drills in parts of the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
Taiwan to begin live-fire drills
On the other hand, Taiwan is due to begin its own live-fire drills on Tuesday.
Su Tseng-chang, Taiwan's Prime Minister, claim that China was "barbarously using military action" to disturb peace in the Taiwan Strait.
"We call on the Chinese government not to go around wielding its military power, showing its muscles everywhere and jeopardizing the peace of the region," he told reporters Sunday.
Taipei's Foreign Ministry claimed that the Chinese drills threatened "the region and even the world."
The Chinese military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island's coastline and mountains from his cockpit.
The Eastern Command also shared a photo it said was of a warship on patrol with Taiwan's shoreline visible in the background.
Ballistic missiles were also fired over Taiwan's capital during the exercises last week, according to Chinese state media.
It is noteworthy that China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said the Chinese government will undoubtedly complete the process of reunification with Taiwan.
Commenting on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Wang affirmed that "Taiwan is a part of China. The implementation of national reunification is a general trend and historic imminence."
