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Chinese military surrounds Taiwan during 'warning' drills

2024-10-14 09:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

China has deployed warplanes and warships to surround Taiwan in military exercises Beijing said are intended to send "a stern warning" to "separatist" forces on the self-ruled island.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to take control of Taiwan, and the October 14 drills are the fourth round of major military exercises China has held in the past two years.

The United States said China's actions were "unpredictable" and risked "escalation." Washington urged Beijing to exercise restraint.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, has been more vocal than his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, in defending Taiwan's sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls it a "separatist".

Lai vowed on Monday to "protect democratic Taiwan, protect national security," while the Defense Ministry said it had deployed "necessary forces" in response to China's drills.

In the vicinity of the Hsinchu Air Base, in the north of Taiwan, 12 fighter jets were seen taking off in the sky.

Taiwan's outlying islands, which are administered by Taipei, were on "high alert" and "aircraft and ships will respond to the enemy in response," Taiwan's defense minister said.

Beijing said its drills serve as a "stern warning against the separatist actions of the 'Taiwan independence' forces".

The drills are aimed at testing troops "for joint operations capabilities," Chinese military spokesman Li Xi said.

They are being held "in areas in the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan," he said.

The Chinese military said the drills are focused on air combat and patrol readiness, as well as blocking key ports. They are also being held to practice "attacks on sea and land targets".

Chinese state media said warplanes and warships have been deployed for the drills. During these exercises, the Chinese coast guards were also activated to carry out "inspections" around the island".

According to a published diagram, the coast guard with four fleets has surrounded Taiwan and is moving around the island in a counter-clockwise direction.

Taiwan said four "formations" of Chinese coast guard vessels were patrolling around the island, but they had not entered the restricted waters.

In recent years, China has increased military activity around Taiwan, sending fighter jets, while its warships maintain a near-permanent presence around the island's waters.

Beijing said Monday's drills "are legitimate and necessary to preserve sovereignty and national unity."

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said on Monday that 25 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships have been detected around the island in the last 26 hours.