The military exercises launched by China on Saturday in the Taiwan Strait are aimed at a “total encirclement” of the island, according to Chinese state television. “Today’s exercise focuses on the ability to take control of the sea, airspace and information […] in order to create a total deterrence and encirclement” of Taiwan, CCTV said. Destroyers, fast missile launchers, fighter planes, tankers and jammers are notably mobilized.
Eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected by Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday around the island. Twenty-nine planes crossed the median line which separates China from Taiwan, the ministry said, denouncing “irrational actions”.
Live fire exercises
The maneuvers “serve as a serious warning against the collusion between the separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and outside forces, as well as their provocative activities”, warned a spokesman for the Chinese army earlier in the day. , Shi Yi. These operations, which also include “patrols”, are “necessary to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China”, justified this spokesperson.
Live-fire exercises will be held Monday in the Taiwan Strait near the coast of Fujian, the province facing the island, local maritime authorities also said. These exercises, which have an “operational” dimension, are intended to demonstrate that the Chinese army will be ready, “if the provocations intensify”, to “settle once and for all the question of Taiwan”, indicates the military analyst Song Zhongping.
Washington will provide weapons “for peace”
Taiwan said the maneuvers threaten “stability and security” in the Asia-Pacific region. Its president, Tsai Ing-wen, denounced on Saturday “authoritarian expansionism” on the part of China and assured that the territory “would continue to work with the United States and other countries (…) to defend the values of freedom and democracy”. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense for its part indicated that it was “monitoring the situation” and had instructed the army to “respond” to Chinese military activities.
A few hours after Beijing’s announcement of the holding of the military exercises, Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the American Congress visiting Taipei. Michael McCaul, head of this delegation and responsible for sales of American military equipment to foreign countries, said that Washington was working to quickly supply weapons to Taiwan. “We are doing everything we can in Congress to expedite these sales and get the weapons you need to defend yourself, and we will train your army, not for war, but for peace,” he said. -he says.