Army Chinese started military exercises with real fire around Taiwan todayexercises equivalent to Taiwan’s “naval and air blockade”, according to the island’s Ministry of Defense.
The maneuvers, which began a day after the controversial visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei, including the closure of sea and airspace in six districts around the island, one of which is about 20 kilometers off the coast of Kaohsiung, the main city of southern Taiwan.
This Wednesday registered Taiwan entry 27 Chinese military aircraft At the self-described Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), where its military has mobilized a combat air patrol, China has issued radio alerts and deployed missile defense systems to monitor aircraft. In addition, Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported today that Taiwanese forces had to fire flares twice last night to clear away a Chinese military drone flying near the Kinmen Islands (also known as Quemoy). The southeast Chinese city of Xiamen is controlled by Taipei. In recent years, these islands have been the target of bombing by China when tensions between Taipei and Beijing reached their highest levels.
According to Taiwanese media, the Chinese exercises affected 18 international airlines on the island and had to change more than 900 flight routes. Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport announced that ships arriving in or leaving Taiwan will have to “wander around” in practice areas, and warned that the “cumulative effect” will be felt, although the journeys will take “just a few more hours”. In the future, if the exercises of the Chinese army “extend” over time.
The island’s Ministry of Defense reported today that it is “monitoring” the island’s surroundings in response to the “irrational activities” of the Chinese Army and, although it does not want the “tension” of the situation, “will not return”. It’s about Taiwan’s “security and sovereignty”. At the same time, according to Chinese state media, An American RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft left the Japanese island of Okinawa, is located in the island direction, just over 600 kilometers from Taiwan. In turn, according to Chinese media, the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan turned away from Taiwan and headed northeast towards Japan.
Describing Pelosi’s visit as “nonsense” and “a pathetic betrayal”, China claims sovereignty over the island and views Taiwan as a rebellious province since the Kuomintang nationalists withdrew in 1949 after losing the civil war against the communists.