China holds military exercises around Taiwan

BLOOMBERG

China held a second day of military drills around Taiwan, with multiple exercises involving aircraft and ships, after the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, returned from a visit to the US.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it detected 58 aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and nine warships near Taiwan as of midday, with 31 of the warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering the southwestern part of the island’s air-defense identification zone.
Warships and warplanes passed over the median line in groups from north, the center and south of the strait, according to the statement.
The PLA said it will hold drills and patrols in airspace and waters on the north, south and east sides of Taiwan. Eastern Theater Command spokesman Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement that the drills are a “stern warning against Taiwan separatist forces’ collusion with foreign elements.” He didn’t mention Tsai’s visits to New York and Los Angeles, which included meetings with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other US lawmakers.
“China’s drills only let the world see it destroys peace,” Taiwan’s vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan told reporters. “We don’t show weakness. We don’t evade, and we are not afraid. Our policies ensure security of territorial sea. This is our bottom line.”
In a statement, China’s Ministry of Defense said the PLA dispatched several conventional missile brigades, along with some army artillery brigades, under the command of the Eastern Theater. The units conducted simulated strikes on designated targets, according to the statement, with photos and video clips showing launching vehicles moving to positions and missiles being erected.
Beijing had pledged to respond to any meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, calling it a provocation that “damages China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The latest planned drills appear to be on a smaller scale than exercises held by China after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year, and didn’t include any imposition of exclusive zones in its airspace and waters.
In August, China announced missile tests and military drills near Taiwan less than an hour after Pelosi landed in Taipei. The PLA also imposed six exclusive zones, banning ships and aircraft from entering.
Beijing’s latest announcement of the military exercises came after French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrapped up a three-day visit to China. Taiwan’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou also concluded a historic 12-day tour of China.
China levelled largely symbolic sanctions on Taiwan’s envoy to the US, two think tanks, and the venue that hosted Tsai in California.