'Stern warning against separatist forces': China reaches third day of military drills in Taiwan

Beijing: China has reached the third and last day of its military drills in Taiwan that were launched in retaliation to President Tsai-Ing-wen’s meeting with the US House speaker.

Monday’s exercises will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of China’s Fujian province, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the Matsu islands and 190 kilometres from Taipei.

“These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external forces and against their provocative activities,” said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman,

Over the weekend, Taiwan detected over 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around the island. The exercises have sparked condemnation among Taipei and warnings from Washington.

Naming the operation “Joint Sword”, the military drills included rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan, according to the People Liberation Army (PLA).

China’s war efforts have also disturbed the day-to-day lives of common people in Taiwan with a 60-year-old chef named Lin Ke-qiang telling AFP that he simply did not want war.

He said, “We, common people, just want to live peaceful and stable lives.”

“If any war happens, now that their missiles are so advanced, there’s no way our side could resist. This side will be levelled to the ground,” he added.

As per a report from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the drills conducted on Sunday had “simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters.” It that forces “continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island”.

The air force also deployed dozens of aircraft to “fly into the target airspace”, and ground forces had carried out drills for “multi-target precision strikes”, the report added.

Denouncing the drills, President Tsai-Ing-wen said that she would collaborate with US and other allies in the face of “continued authoritarian expansionism”.

The de facto US embassy in Taiwan said in a statement that it is “comfortable and confident” that US possesses enough resources in the region and is capable of carrying out a peaceful resolution and stabilising the region amid a growing Chinese threat.

A spokesperson of the US embassy said earlier, “We are monitoring Beijing’s actions closely. As we have said, there is no reason for Beijing to turn this transit – which was consistent with longstanding US practice and policy – into something it is not or use it as a pretext to overreact.”

With inputs from agencies

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