China to launch military drills as stern warning to Taiwan

BEIJING: China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a “stern warning” to the self-ruled island´s government following a meeting between its president and the US House speaker.

Dubbed “United Sharp Sword”, the three-day operation -- which state media said includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan -- will run until Monday, the People´s Liberation Army´s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.

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 would 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 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. The manoeuvres come after a meeting between Tsai and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary.

Taiwan´s defence ministry said that by 4 pm (0800 GMT) on Saturday nine Chinese warships and 71 military aircraft had been detected around the island.

China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan last August in its largest show of force in years, following a trip to the island by McCarthy´s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi. McCarthy, who is second in line to the US presidency, had originally planned to go to Taiwan himself.

The decision to meet in California instead was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for Taiwan but avoid inflaming tensions with Beijing.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island´s dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.

Hours before Tsai met McCarthy on Wednesday, China sent the carrier Shandong through Taiwan´s southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific.

Beijing said Friday that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China”, after repeatedly warning against the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.