China’s military announced Monday it was mobilizing army, navy, air and rocket units around Taiwan for “major military drills” aimed at sending a “serious warning” against any push for Taiwanese independence and “external” forcing interfering with the island.
The exercises dubbed “Justice Mission-2025” would test combat readiness and “blockade and control of key ports and critical areas,” China’s Eastern Theater Command said. Live-fire activities would take place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island, according to information released by the command.
Taiwan’s government condemned the drills, accusing China of “military intimidation.”
Beijing is launching the war games at a tense and sensitive moment in the region. China and Japan have been locked in a weeks-long diplomatic spat over comments the Japanese prime minister made about Taiwan. Washington and Taipei also earlier this month announced what could become one of the US’ biggest-ever military sales to the island.
Meanwhile Taiwan’s president is pushing for the approval of a historic special defense budget – all of which has irked Beijing.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan as its own territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to take control of the island, by force if necessary.
Beijing has been ramping up its military intimidation of the island in recent years, including launching major drills at sensitive moments to express its displeasure – a playbook the latest exercises appear to follow. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, said the drills will focus on “training in sea-and-air combat readiness patrols, seizing comprehensive control” and “blockade and control of key ports and critical areas.”
“This exercise serves as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interfering forces,” Shi said, using what appeared to be a veiled reference to the US and its allies. “(It) is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and maintain national unity.”
Other voices cited in Chinese state media were more explicit. In an interview published on a social CCTV, military analyst Fu Nan pointed to the US and Taiwan arms deal when asked why the drills were taking place at this time, calling it an “escalation” of “collusive actions.”
In a statement, Taiwan’s presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said the drills “blatantly undermines the security and stability status quo of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region” and “openly challenges international laws and order.”
Source: Here