China has staged one of its biggest military exercises, sending 71 war planes and seven ships in seas and skies near Taiwan. In retaliation for what it claimed to be provocations from Taiwan and the United States, China’s military claimed that it had carried out “strike drills” in the sea and airspace surrounding the island. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, while Taiwan asserted that the drills demonstrated Beijing’s efforts to undermine regional stability and intimidate Taiwanese citizens.
China denounced the United States for passing a new defence authorisation statute that increases military aid to Taiwan. The People’s Liberation Army of China’s Eastern Theatre Command issued a brief statement in which it claimed to have conducted joint combat readiness patrols and combined firepower strike drills all around Taiwan, however it did not identify the precise area.
Without providing further information, the PLA stated that this is a decisive response to the current uptick of cooperation and provocation from the United States and Taiwan. The statement further stated that theatre troops would forcefully preserve territorial integrity and national sovereignty by taking all necessary steps.
