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China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced military drills at positions encircling Taiwan hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plane crashed in Taiwan.
The joint naval and air exercises began Tuesday afternoon, with live-fire drills scheduled for Aug. 4-7 after Pelosi’s departure from the disputed island, the state-run Global Times mentionted. The live-fire drills will be held at six locations surrounding the island and could be a test run for possible moves to impose full control of Taiwan.
“This action targets the US’s shocking recent major escalation on the Taiwan issue and serves as a serious warning to Taiwan independence forces or independence seekers,” said Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command. statement.
Rocket launchers were mobilized and stealth fighter jets took off from mainland China on Tuesday night, the Global Times reported. Gu Zhong, deputy chief of the Eastern Theater Command, said China was “preparing for all crises.”
The PLA will conduct major military drills and training activities, including live-fire drills in six areas around Taiwan Island from Thursday to Sunday pic.twitter.com/k9q1WEDsyF
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 2, 2022
Pelosi’s flight landed at 10:43 p.m. local time at Songshan Airport in Taipei amid escalating Chinese warnings and reports of military activity near Taiwan. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 21 Chinese warplanes violated Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Tuesday, CNN mentionted.(RELATED: REPORT: Pelosi heads to Taiwan despite looming war threats)
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng met with US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns late Tuesday to protest the “extremely vicious” nature of Pelosi’s visit, accusing the US of supporting Tavian independence, Xinhua mentionted.
“China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US president’s visit. “All consequences must be borne by the US and the separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence,'” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, the Global Times reported.
“The announced PLA exercises, which are likely to be on a larger scale than the one in the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, serve not only as warnings to US separatists and ‘Taiwan independence,’ but also as rehearsals for the reunification of island by force. “, the Global Times reported, citing experts.
Tensions flared between China and Taiwan in 1996 after the US granted former Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui permission to visit the US on an unofficial basis, the first time a Taiwanese leader had traveled to the US. according in Axios. In response, China deployed more than 100,000 troops to Fujian province bordering the Taiwan Strait and conducted missile tests that came dangerously close to the Taiwan target.
Pelosi’s office and the Chinese foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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