China begins military exercises around Taiwan warning of ‘separatist forces’ – National
China’s military on Monday sent air, naval and rocket forces to conduct joint fire drills on the island of Taiwan, in what Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist forces and “foreign interference”. Taiwan said it was putting its forces on alert and called the Chinese government a “big destroyer of peace.”
Aviation authorities in Taiwan said more than 100,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.
The training took place after Beijing expressed anger that it may be the largest arms sale by the US to its territory and a statement by the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying that its military may intervene if China takes action against Taiwan. China says that Taiwan should be under its sovereignty.
China’s military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement on Monday.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said rapid response exercises are ongoing, with forces on high alert. “The military exercises directed by the Chinese Communist Party reaffirm its status as an aggressor and destroyer of peace,” it said.
Beijing sends warplanes and naval vessels toward the island almost daily, and in recent years has increased the scope and scale of these exercises.
Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the exercises will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and in the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.
Shi said the operations would focus on monitoring naval air combat readiness, “full-scale joint capture” and blockade of key ports. And it was the first major military exercise in which the command publicly stated that one goal was to keep everyone out of the island chain.
“It is a strong warning against separatist and ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and disruptive foreign forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary step to protect China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949, when a civil war put the Communist Party in power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Army soldiers fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, although the mainland government claims it is a sovereign territory.
Practice will continue on Tuesday
Monday’s order deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as long-range rockets, north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait. Conduct live firing exercises against targets in the water. Among other exercises, exercises to test the power of sea air communication and direct target hunting were conducted in the water and air east of the strait.
Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the intelligence staff of the Ministry of Defense in Taiwan, said that as of three o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating in the surrounding area, and 67 of them entered the “response area” – the air area under the employment of the military and response. At sea, the service found 14 navy ships around the strait and four other warships in the Western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard ships.
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“Conducting live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait … is not just military pressure on us. It may bring serious impact and challenges to the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh told reporters.
The military exercise will continue on Tuesday. Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said Chinese authorities had issued a notice to set up seven temporary danger zones around the canal for rocket launches from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, barring aircraft from entering them.
Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 850 international flights were scheduled at the time and the training would affect more than 100,000 travelers. More than 80 domestic flights, involving about 6,000 passengers, were also cancelled, it added.
The Chinese command has released themed posters about online use accompanied by provocative words. One poster showed two Great Wall shields next to three military planes and two ships. Its social media post said the tests were about the “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion,” adding that any outside communicators or separatists touching the shields would be removed.
Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions on 20 US defense companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced a major arms sale to Taiwan worth more than $10 billion. It still needs to be approved by the US Congress.
Under long-standing US federal law, Washington has an obligation to assist Taipei in its defence, a point of contention with China. The US and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter’s administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.
There was no immediate statement from the US about the exercise.
Taiwan’s military is on high alert
Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for Taiwan’s presidential office, said the tests undermined the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region and clearly challenged international law and order.
“Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for not respecting international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” he said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense released a video showing its weapons and troops in a show of strength. Several French Mirage-2000 aircraft landed at the air force base.
In October, Taiwan’s government said it would accelerate the construction of the “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of a military threat from China.
The military standoff came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “beating waves and gusty winds,” during a visit to Shanghai.
