China has launched a new round of military exercises near Taiwan, just days after the self-ruled island celebrated its National Day, Al Jazeera reports.
The drills, dubbed “Joint Sword-2024B,” are taking place in areas to the north, south, and east of Taiwan, according to a statement from the Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command.
The exercises, which began on Monday, are focused on “sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade on key ports and areas,” and will also involve an “assault on maritime and ground targets,” said Captain Li Xi, the spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command.
The drills were described as a “legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity,” with no date for their conclusion provided.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence condemned the exercises, calling them “irrational and provocative actions.” The ministry said it had deployed “appropriate forces to respond accordingly to protect freedom and democracy, and defend the sovereignty” of Taiwan. As of 8am local time, the ministry reported the presence of 25 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 11 ships, including seven navy vessels, operating around Taiwan.
China has intensified its military activity around Taiwan in recent years, claiming the island as its own territory. The latest drills come shortly after Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te delivered his National Day address on October 10, vowing to resist any “annexation or encroachment” by Beijing.
Beijing, which has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, said that the drills were a warning to the “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.”
