HONG KONG (AP) — China’s military said Monday it will send its air force, navy and rocket forces to conduct joint military exercises around Taiwan, a move that serves as a “stern warning” to separatist and “external interference” forces.
The drills come after Beijing expressed anger over a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japanese troops could intervene if China took action against Taiwan. The world’s second-largest economy says Taiwan must be brought under its rule. But the Chinese military did not mention Japan in its statement on Monday morning.
Taiwan is an island off the southeastern coast of China that separated from the mainland in 1949 amid civil war. Since then it has operated with its own government, although the mainland government claims it is sovereign territory.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, said that the exercise code-named “Justice Mission 2025” will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and the northern, southwest, southeast and eastern regions of Taiwan. Shi said the activities focus on sea and air combat readiness patrols, “joint efforts to seize comprehensive advantages,” blockade of key ports and off-island deterrence.
“This is a stern warning to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and national unity,” the Central Military Commission said in a statement on WeChat.
Beijing also imposed sanctions on 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives last week, a week after Washington announced massive arms sales to Taiwan worth more than $10 billion. If approved by the U.S. Congress, it would be the largest weapons package the U.S. has ever delivered to the autonomous territory.
