China on Sunday carried out another set of military drills around Taiwan as tensions continue to escalate over the strategic island, which Beijing claims as its own.
EXERCISE
In a statement on Monday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command (ETC) said that it had organised “joint combat-readiness security patrol and real-combat exercise…in the waters and airspace” around the self-governing island. The drills involved “troops of multiple services,” ETC spokesperson Senior Colonel Shi Yi said.
He elaborated that the exercise “focused on land strikes, sea assaults and other subjects” and aimed “to test the troops’ joint combat capability” and “resolutely counter the collusive and provocative acts of the external forces and the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”
TAIWAN’S REACTION
The aim of the exercises was to test joint combat capabilities and "resolutely counter the provocative actions of external forces and Taiwan independence separatist forces", it added in a brief statement.
— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) January 9, 2023
Taiwan’s presidential office accused China of making “groundless accusations” and strongly condemned its latest activity.
“Taiwan’s position is very clear, in that it will neither escalate conflicts nor provoke disputes, but will firmly defend its sovereignty and security,” its official statement read.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported that it had detected 57 Chinese military aircraft near its territory on Sunday, including 28 that encroached its air defence zone (ADIZ).
According to a map by the MoD, some of the 28 aircraft that flew into its ADIZ also crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, which is the unofficial buffer zone between Taipei and Beijing. The sortie included Su-30 and J-16 fighters, while two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers flew to the south of the island.
PAST DRILLS
Some of those 28 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides, including Su-30 and J-16 fighters, while two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers flew to the south of Taiwan.
— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) January 9, 2023
China’s military activity in the region is not unprecedented. China is known to usually increase the number of fighter jets it sends into Taiwanese airspace in retaliation against events that it deems provocative.
Last month, China carried out “strike drills” around Taiwan’s sea and airspace after the US passed legislation that expands its security cooperation with the self-governing island, which China claims to be part of its own territory.
According to the Taiwanese military, a total of 71 aircraft sorties were part of the drills, out of which, 47 crossed the Strait line and entered the island’s southwest airspace. It also detected seven ships that “continued to operate around the Taiwan Strait.”
For instance, following the UK Trade Minister Greg Hands’ visit to Taipei in November, the PLA sent a sortie of 46 warplanes toward the country, which it claims to be part of its own territory.
Similarly, after US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in early August, the PLA stepped up its incursions into Taiwanese territory to an unprecedented level, sending warships, missiles, and fighter jets into the waters and skies around Taiwan.