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Home The News News China conducts ‘strike drills’ around Taiwan

China conducts ‘strike drills’ around Taiwan

Monday, 26 December 2022 07:27 Taipei Times

China’s military said it staged “strike drills” in the sea and airspace around Taiwan yesterday in response to an unspecified “provocation” by Taipei and Washington.

China staged war games around Taiwan in August following a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and on Saturday it condemned the US for a new defense authorization law that boosts military assistance for Taiwan.

In a brief statement, the Eastern Theater Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army said it had carried out “joint combat readiness patrols and joint firepower strike drills” around Taiwan, although it did not specify the exact location.

Fighter jets belonging to the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct a joint combat training exercise around Taiwan on Aug. 7.

Photo: AP

“This is a resolute response to the current escalation of collusion and provocation from the United States and Taiwan,” it said, without giving details.

“Theater forces will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it added.

The Ministry of National Defense reported that eight Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships had been detected near Taiwan between 6am on Saturday and 6am yesterday.

Taiwanese fighter jets were deployed to warn the Chinese aircraft, and air defense missile systems were deployed to monitor the activities, it said.

The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. US arms sales to Taiwan are a constant irritant in Beijing’s relations with Washington.

The Chinese drills coincided with newly elected city mayors and county leaders in Taiwan taking up their positions following last month’s local elections, in which the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was trounced.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Additional reporting by staff writer


Source: Taipei Times - 2022/12/26


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Newsflash

The US government is considering a plan to jointly produce weapons with Taiwan, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported yesterday, citing three sources.

Washington wants to step up production capacity for US-designed arms and speed up their transfer as part of a move to bolster deterrence against China, Nikkei reported.

The report added that a person with direct knowledge of the US government’s deliberations said discussions had begun, while a different source said it was likely to take some time.