Recent military actions by China involve launching several missiles toward Taiwanese territory and positioning a fleet of 10 People’s Liberation Army navy warships near the median line separating the two nations.
The Chinese defense ministry has also announced readiness of its Red Army to respond to any “enemy situation” and is conducting targeted military drills in the surrounding ocean areas of Taiwan.
On August 4, China carried out its largest-ever military exercises, encircling Taiwan in a show of strength that spans crucial international shipping lanes, following a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, defying threats from Beijing, concluded on August 3. Her visit was significant as she became the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Pelosi stated that her presence made it clear that the United States would not abandon Taiwan, its democratic ally.
Beijing’s response to Pelosi’s visit was intense, vowing “punishment” and announcing military drills in the seas around Taiwan, some of the world’s busiest waterways. Beijing later reported conducting “precision missile strikes” in the Taiwan Strait.
The military exercises, declared by Beijing to be the largest ever, will take place in multiple zones around Taiwan, some as close as 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the island’s shoreline, and will continue until midday on Sunday.
The Dongfeng missile family, used by Beijing, includes missiles capable of carrying nuclear and conventional payloads with devastating potential, posing a severe threat to cities.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that China had launched several Dongfeng missiles into waters around the northeast and southwest of the island. Additionally, Taiwan stated its preparedness for conflict but expressed a stance of not seeking it.
Describing the exercises as “an irrational move to challenge the international order,” Taiwan officials have condemned the drills, stating that they violate United Nations rules, infringe on Taiwan’s territorial space, and present a direct challenge to free air and sea navigation.
According to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), China’s exercises in the busiest international waterways and aviation routes are “irresponsible and illegitimate behavior.”
Reports from Fuzhou, eastern China, indicate civilian sightings of the PLA’s helicopters and airmen taking off from Pingtan Island and heading towards Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and asserts the right to take it by force, categorizes its disputes with the self-ruled island as an internal matter.