China’s military practices aerial and naval blockades around Taiwan on the third and last day of its live-fire drills intended to rehearse an encirclement of the self-governed island
TAIPEI: China’s military practiced aerial and naval blockades around Taiwan on the third and last day of its live-fire drills near the island in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s recent trip to the United States.
A Chinese aircraft carrier was also part of combat patrols on Monday as Taipei reported another surge of warplanes near the island.
China announced the three-day operation dubbed “Joint Sword” on Saturday, after Tsai returned home following a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Chinese fighter planes and warships carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets in Taiwan and its surrounding waters over the weekend, sparking protests by Taipei.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday the exercises are focused on “key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said on Monday it had detected 70 Chinese military aircraft and 11 vessels around Taiwan.
‘Joint Sword’
The three-day exercises dubbed “Joint Sword” are intended to rehearse an encirclement of the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its territory. China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said the operation focused on “key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters”.
“R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond [to] these activities,” the ministry said in a statement posted on social media, referring to Taiwan’s official name of the Republic of China.
70 PLA aircraft and 11 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/c2GGUMGrpW
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) April 10, 2023
“35 of the detected aircraft(SU-30*8, J-11*4, J-10*6, J-16*8, TB-001 UCAV, Y-9EW, Y-8 ASW, J-15*4, CH-4 UCAV, KJ-500 AEW&C) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest and southeast ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated,” it added.
China has described “Joint Sword” military exercises as a “serious warning to Taiwan’s independence separatist forces”, while Taipei has condemned Beijing for using Tsai’s US visit as “an excuse to carry out military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security”.
China had warned Taiwan and the US against the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, which took place in Los Angeles when the former was returning from a tour of allies in Central America.
China also carried out extensive war games around Taiwan last year, including firing missiles into waters close to it, after the then US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei.
Washington does not officially recognise Taiwan but has opposed the unilateral attempts to change the status quo and has for decades supported the island’s defences by selling it weapons.
