China begins 3-day military drills around Taiwan island after president Tsai returns home

The Chinese military will conduct exercises and patrols in the sea and airspace around Taiwan starting Saturday, in accordance with the combat training plan, Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said.Show more

The military drills will be held starting from April 8 until April 10, 2023, and will involve patrols around Taiwan and "joint sharp sword exercises" in the Taiwan Strait, as well as in the sea and airspace to the north, south and east of Taiwan, Shi Yi said in a statement on WeChat on Saturday.

The spokesperson added that the drills are "a necessary measure to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity" and a warning against provocations by pro-Taiwan separatist forces.

Taiwan's defense ministry said on Saturday that the Taiwanese military was closely following the holding of China's drills.

The defense ministry said that, in the past 24 hours, the approach of 13 aircraft and three ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to the island were registered by Taiwan's armed forces.

On Wednesday, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers in Los Angeles, California, during her transit trip to the country. In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the contacts between US and Taiwanese officials, calling on Washington to stop upgrading relations with the island.
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