BEIJING (AP) \u2014 The Chinese military launched drills around\u00a0Taiwan\u00a0on Saturday as a \u201cstern warning\u201d over what it called collusion between \u201cseparatists and foreign forces,\u201d its defense ministry said, days after the\u00a0island\u2019s vice president stopped over\u00a0in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwanese Vice President William Lai\u2019s recent trip to Paraguay to reinforce relations with his government\u2019s\u00a0last diplomatic partner in South America\u00a0included stops in San Francisco and New York City. The mainland\u2019s ruling Communist Party claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and says it has no right to conduct foreign relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spokesperson for China\u2019s Eastern Theater Command said in a brief statement that the military exercises involved the coordination of vessels and planes and their ability to seize control of air and sea spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was also testing the forces\u2019 \u201cactual combat capabilities,\u201d Shi Yi said. The drills in the waters and airspace to the north and southwest of Taiwan were a warning over provocations from pro-Taiwan independence forces and foreign forces, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The command released footage of the drills online that showed soldiers running, as well as military boats and planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
State media CCTV reported that missile-equipped boats and fighter jets were involved in the operation and that units worked together to simulate the surrounding of Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan\u2019s defense ministry said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that its forces detected 42 Chinese military aircraft starting from 9 a.m. on Saturday. It said 26 of them crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary considered a buffer between the island and the mainland. Eight vessels also took part in the joint combat patrol, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan deployed aircraft and vessels and activated land-based missile systems in response to the drills and was closely monitoring the situation, the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministry also strongly condemned what it called the \u201cirrational, provocative moves\u201d in a separate statement. It said its military would stand ready in the face of the threats posted by the Chinese army, adding that its forces have \u201cthe ability, determination and confidence to safeguard national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It posted a video on Facebook that showed previous military drills and said the Chinese military exercises reflected a militaristic mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the ruling Communist Party in control of the mainland. The self-ruled island has never been part of the People\u2019s Republic of China, but Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be retaken by force if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s official Xinhua news agency on Saturday reported that an unnamed official in China\u2019s Taiwan Work Office strongly condemned what it called further collusion between Taiwan\u2019s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the U.S. and said it was a \u201cnew provocative move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official pointed to the stopovers in the U.S., an interview Lai gave to news outlet Bloomberg and his meeting with U.S. officials in Paraguay, the report said. The official said Lai had used \u201cTaiwan independence\u201d rhetoric in the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official also accused Lai of using his stopovers in the U.S. to sell out the interests of Taiwan to seek gains in the island\u2019s election, and described him as a \u201ctroublemaker who will push Taiwan to the dangerous brink of war,\u201d the report added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lai is his party\u2019s candidate for the 2024 presidential election in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan\u2019s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, wrote on the X platform that China \u201chas made it clear it wants to shape\u201d the island\u2019s national election, and attached the command\u2019s statement and the Xinhua report in his post. \u201cIt\u2019s up to our citizens to decide, not the bully next door,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s largest military drills in recent years were in response to former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s visit to Taiwan last August. It fired missiles over the island in a significant escalation and the military exercises disrupted trade lanes in the Taiwan Strait and forced airplanes to reroute their flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April, Chinese forces held large-scale combat readiness drills in the air and waters around Taiwan in response to\u00a0President Tsai Ing-wen\u2019s meeting\u00a0with current U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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