China launches 3-day-long drills in Taiwan Strait
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China is kicking off drills in the Taiwan Strait after soaring tensions with the island in light of a visit by its president to the United States.
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Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter jets of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force perform with open weapon bays during the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 11, 2018. (Reuters)
China launched Saturday military drills around Taiwan in a stern warning to the Taiwanese government following a meeting between the island's leader and the US House speaker.
Operation United Sharp Sword is set to last for three days, running until Monday, Chinese media reported. It will include rehearsals on an encirclement of the Island off the coast of China, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command revealed.
The military drills were swiftly denounced by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Tsai, who pledged to work with "the US and other like-minded countries" against "continued authoritarian expansionism."
China's drills will see Beijing sending 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", Shi Yin, a PLA spokesperson said.
This comes amid a period of tension with China heightened by a meeting between Tsai and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, during a stopover by the Taiwan leader in the United States.
McCarthy was planning on visiting Taipei himself rather than receiving Tsai in California. But the decision to change the plan came to allegedly avoid escalation with China.
Tsai, who was on an official visit to Latin America, made two stopovers in the US during which she met with house speaker McCarthy and other legislators.
The announcement regarding the drills comes a day after Chinese warships patrolled near Taiwan for the second consecutive day.
Announcing that Taiwan remains an "inseparable part" of the country, China also sent a fighter jet and an anti-submarine helicopter which "crossed the island's air defense identification zone (ADIZ)," according to the Defense Ministry in Taipei.
Read more: China sees Tsai's US stop 'provocation', US urges no 'overreaction'
China's warnings unheeded
China had warned Taipei and Washington before the visit, though the warnings were to no avail. Beijing also condemned it after it was over.
The CCTV broadcaster said China's forces would "simultaneously organize patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture."
The drills will include "long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers, and refuellers."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning relayed Beijing's opposition on Thursday to the official contacts between the US and Taiwan as she called on the US to halt developments with Taiwan and reiterated China's willingness to take "strong and resolute measures" to defend the country's sovereignty.
"The United States acting with Taiwan to connive at 'Taiwan independence' separatists’ political activities in the United States, conduct official contact with Taiwan and upgrade the substantive relations with Taiwan, and frame it as a 'transit.' This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués," Mao said in a statement.
"It seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends an egregiously wrong signal to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it," the statement added.
