TAIPEI, (Reuters) – China’s military simulated a precision strike against Taiwan on Sunday during the second day of exercises around the island, with the island’s defense ministry reporting several air force deployments, citing China’s I watched the missile force.
China, which claims to have democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, launched three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, a day after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.
Chinese state television reported that patrols and combat readiness exercises are continuing in Taiwan.
“Under the unified command of the joint operations command center in the theater, multiple types of forces will conduct simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on the island of Taiwan and its surrounding waters, and maintain offensive postures around the island. I continue,” he said.
The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command posted a short animation of a mock attack on his WeChat account, with missiles fired from land, sea and air toward Taiwan, two of which burst into flames as he hit his target. showed the situation. A source familiar with the security situation in the region told Reuters that China had carried out mock air and sea strikes against “foreign military targets” in waters southwest of Taiwan.
“They are not only targeting Taiwan,” said the source, who requested anonymity. “It’s very provocative.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said it had been sighted 70 of Chinese-made aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and his H-6 bombers, and 11 of his ships around Taiwan as of 0800 GMT.
The ministry said it was paying special attention to the People’s Liberation Army Missile Force, which is responsible for China’s land-based missile systems.
“The Chinese military also has an accurate overview of the movements of the Chinese Communist Rocket Force through its integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and its air defense forces continue to maintain high alert,” the ministry said. He reiterated that Taiwan’s military will “not escalate the conflict or cause controversy” and will respond “appropriately” to China’s drills.
A security source said about 20 warships, half Taiwanese and half Chinese, were stuck in a stalemate near the midline of the Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now conducting exercises more than 400 nautical miles from Taiwan’s southeast coast, the sources said.
Zhao Xiaozhuo of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences told Beijing’s government-backed Global Times newspaper that this was the first time China had openly spoken about mock attacks on Taiwanese targets.
China has stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan over the past three years, regularly flying missions around the island, but not over its airspace or the island itself. Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Sunday it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine naval vessels around Taiwan in the past 24 hours.
The ministry has released a map showing that about half of those aircraft, including Su-30s and J-11s, crossed the strait centerline.
Chinese state media said the plane was armed with knives. Taiwan Air Force aircraft also typically carry sharp weapons when attempting to repel Chinese aggression.
