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China warns of Taiwan ‘war’ as military drills encircle island

Published : Saturday, 25 May, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 312
BEIJING, May 24: China warned on Friday of war over Taiwan and said it would ramp up countermeasures until "complete reunification" was achieved, as Chinese forces conducted military drills around the self-ruled island.

Warships and fighter jets encircled Taiwan on the second day of exercises that Beijing said were a test of its ability to seize the island, days after its new president was sworn in.

Chinas military kicked off the two-day war games on Thursday morning, surrounding democratic Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft as it vowed the blood of "independence forces" on the island would flow.

The exercises were launched three days after Lai Ching-te took office and made an inauguration speech that China denounced as a "confession of independence".

Beijings defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Friday that Lai "has seriously challenged the one-China principle... pushing our compatriots in Taiwan into a perilous situation of war and danger".

"Every time Taiwan independence provokes us, we will push our countermeasures one step further, until the complete reunification of the motherland is achieved," he said.

The drills are part of an escalating campaign of intimidation by China in which it has carried out a series of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in recent years.

They are testing the "capability of joint seizure of power, joint strikes and control of key territories", Li Xi, spokesman for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, said on Friday.

Fighter jets loaded with live ammunition scrambled towards targets and bombers formed formations to combine with warships to simulate "strikes against important targets", state broadcaster CCTV reported.

China, which split with Taiwan at the end of a civil war 75 years ago, regards the island as a renegade province with which it must eventually be reunified.

The dispute has long made the Taiwan Strait one of the worlds most dangerous flashpoints, and this weeks events have stoked fears that China may use military force to bring the island under mainland rule.

The United States, Taiwans strongest ally and military backer, "strongly" urged China on Thursday to act with restraint. The United Nations called for all sides to avoid escalation.

As the drills -- Codenamed "Joint Sword-2024A" -- got under way, China said they would serve as "strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces".

Footage published by Chinas military showed soldiers streaming out of a building to battle stations and jets taking off to a rousing martial tune.

CCTV reported that Chinese sailors had called out to their Taiwanese counterparts at sea, warning them against "resisting reunification by force".    —AFP



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