China displays army training close to Taiwan

(MENAFN) The Chinese military has released several videos highlighting a two-day military exercise conducted near Taiwan earlier this week. The drills, known as 'Strait Thunder,' were initiated by the Eastern Theater Command (ETC) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday. The maneuvers involved various branches of the PLA and focused on “identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention” of potential targets. The primary objective was to prepare for a potential blockade of Taiwan.

The PLA showcased its Shandong Aircraft Carrier Task Group, which is equipped with Shenyang J-15 naval fighter jets. The aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2019, played a significant role in the exercise, with videos highlighting the deployment of its fighters. Other footage also showed military barracks being alerted early in the morning, followed by the deployment of rocket launch systems for live-fire drills aimed at Taiwan’s coastline.

Taiwan, which operates under a nationalist government that fled to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War, is viewed by Beijing as part of its territory. While the U.S. officially recognizes China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, it provides military support to the island. China sees these U.S. arms supplies as encouraging Taiwan's push for formal independence.

In a statement, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang warned that pursuing Taiwanese independence would endanger the island's safety, stating that "Taiwan independence" and peace in the Taiwan Strait cannot coexist. Despite preferring peaceful reunification, Beijing has made it clear it is ready to use force against any separatist movements. The Defense Ministry also criticized Taiwan’s current leadership, calling them "crisis makers" and "troublemakers."

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