By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Authorities in China on Saturday flagged off a 3-day military drills around Taiwan in what it called a “stern warning” to the government of the self-ruled island after a meeting between its president and the US House speaker.
Dubbed “United Sharp Sword”, the state media said the drills will include rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan. It will run until Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.
China has repeatedly claimed Taiwan is its territory which it seeks to annex to Beijing, a claim Taiwan has rejected.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, pledging to work with “the US and other like-minded countries” in the face of “continued authoritarian expansionism”.
China’s war games will send 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”, said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.
A later report from state broadcaster CCTV said: “The task force will simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture.”
The report went on to detail the type of weaponry China was putting through its paces, including “long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers”.
Taiwan’s defence ministry released a video showing soldiers loading anti-aircraft missile launchers, fighter jets taking off, and other military preparedness exercises.
The footage included surveillance of China’s Shandong aircraft carrier, which sailed through waters south of Taiwan earlier this week.
The 75-second clip, which included English subtitles, ended with a caption saying: “We seek neither escalation nor conflict, but we remain steadfast, rational, and serious to react and defend our territory and sovereignty.”
Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the coast of China’s Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, the local maritime authority said.
“These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external forces and against their provocative activities,” the PLA’s Shi said.
“The operations are necessary for safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
