Following US speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, China has kicked of the largest ever military exercise aimed at the island nation.
Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after a less than 24-hour visit. Her Taiwan sojourn defied a series of extreme threats from Beijing, which sees the island as an integral part of its territory.
Pelosi is highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in over 25 years. The veteran US politician made it “unequivocally clear” that the United States would “not abandon” a democratic ally like Taiwan.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began the military drill on Thursday with live-fire exercises in the sea surrounding Taiwan at noon (0400 GMT) on Thursday.
“From 12:00 pm today to 12:00 pm on (August) 7, an important military exercise of the People’s Liberation Army is taking place,” CCTV said, in a social media post that included a map of Taiwan.
Missiles to fly over Taiwan?
Indian media company News 18 reported that Pelosi’s trip triggered a furious reaction from Beijing, which vowed “punishment” for those that had offended it and announced military drills in the seas around Taiwan — some of the world’s busiest waterways.
The military exercises encircling Taiwan will involve “training activities including live-fire drills”, Chinese state media had announced. They will take place in multiple zones encircling Taiwan — at some areas within just 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the island’s shore — and will conclude at midday on Sunday.
Chinese state-run newspaper the Global Times reported, quoting military analysts, that the exercises were “unprecedented” and that missiles would be flying over Taiwan for the first time. The tabloid further stated that, “this is the first time the PLA will launch live long-range artillery across the Taiwan Straits.”
Drills since last Tuesday have set the tone for the exercises, with China’s Xinhua news agency reporting that the Chinese military simulated a “joint blockade” of Taiwan.
Taiwan readying for war
Taiwan’s military on Thursday said that it was monitoring Chinese military exercises, adding that it was ready for conflict, but would not seek it.
Taipei’s defence ministry issued a statement saying, “The Ministry of National Defence stresses that it will uphold the principle of preparing for war without seeking war, and with an attitude of not escalating conflict and causing disputes.”
