China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan as US Wraps Up Historic Summit with South Korea, Japan | CNN

CNN
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China’s military launched joint air and sea patrols around Taiwan this weekend as the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan wrapped up a historic summit at Camp David aimed at shoring up their alliances.

“The patrols and exercises are aimed at training the coordination of military ships and aircraft and their ability to take control of air and sea spaces,” Shi Yi, a spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command, was quoted as saying by the state news agency. Xinhua.

Shi said the exercises would test the “ability to fight in real combat conditions” of the armed forces.

“The patrols and exercises serve as a stern warning of the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists’ collusion with foreign elements and their provocations,” Shi added.

The ruling Communist Party of China claims the democratic and autonomous island of Taiwan as its territory, even though it has never controlled it. He has promised to take control of the island, by force if necessary.

The patrols come a week after China’s foreign minister condemned Taiwan’s vice president and presidential candidate. William Lai while in transit in the US en route to Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Lai a “troublemaker through and through” for his stopover in the US.

The China patrols also come amid heightened US-China tensions. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has received the leaders of Japan and South Korea in a trilateral summit backed by the mutual concern of the three countries for China.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry strongly condemned China’s military exercises near the island, saying on Saturday that Beijing’s actions were “irrational and provocative behavior.” He said he would also send the appropriate forces to respond to the situation.

“Launching a military exercise under such a pretext not only does not help the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, but also highlights (China’s) militaristic mentality and restores the domineering nature of military expansion,” the ministry said.

On Tuesday, the US-sanctioned defense minister. li shang fu warned against “playing with fire” when it comes to Taiwan in a veiled jab at the United States when addressing a security conference in Russia.

While the US has no formal ties to Taiwan, it is one of its strongest international backers in terms of providing the means to defend the island through weapon packs.