HONG KONG — China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and rocket troops to conduct joint military drills around the island of Taiwan, a move Beijing called a "stern warning" against separatist and "external interference" forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Chinese government "the biggest destroyer of peace."
The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales to the territory and a statement by Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that the world's second-biggest economy says must come under its rule. But the Chinese military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement on Monday morning.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said in a post on X that rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert to defend the island. In a separate statement, it said it had deployed appropriate forces in response, conducting combat readiness drills.
"The Chinese Communist Party's targeted military exercises further confirm its nature as an aggressor and the biggest destroyer of peace," the ministry said.
Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command, said the drills would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.
Shi said the activities will focus on sea-air combat readiness patrol, "joint seizure of comprehensive superiority" and blockades on key ports. It was also the first large-scale military drill where the command publicly mentioned one of the goals was "all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain."
"It is a stern warning against 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," Shi said.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, though the mainland's government claims it as sovereign territory.
Live firing exercises scheduled for Tuesday
The command said it was using fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles in coordination with long-range rocket launches to conduct drills in the sea and airspace in the middle areas of the Taiwan Strait on Monday, focusing on striking mobile ground targets. They are intended to test the troops' capabilities of precision strikes on key targets, it said.
It also said major military drills were scheduled to happen between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, saying it would organize live firing activities then, and its exercises would cover five areas around the island.
The command released themed posters about the drills online accompanied by provocative wording. One poster depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. Its social media post said the drills were about the "Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion," adding that any foreign interlopers or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.
Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. If approved by the U.S. Congress, it would be the largest-ever American weapons package to the self-ruled territory.
Under U.S. federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. The U.S. and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter's administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.
Taiwanese army on high alert
Monday's drills heightened tensions on both sides. Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Taiwanese president's office, said the operation was undermining the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly challenging international law and order.
"Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for disregarding international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries." she said.
Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a near-daily basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises. In October, the Taiwanese government said it would accelerate the building of a "Taiwan Shield" or "T-Dome" air defense system in the face of the military threat from China.
The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of "crashing waves and howling winds," during a trip to Shanghai.
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