China launched a record number of military aircraft on Monday in a Taiwan encirclement exercise aimed at warning against independence, Chinese officials said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that 125 Chinese military aircraft were flown in, the highest number ever counted in a single day. The ministry added that 90 aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters and drones, were spotted within Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
China’s Defense Ministry said the drills were a response to Taiwan’s president’s refusal to accept Beijing’s request to recognize autonomous Taiwan as part of the Communist Party-ruled People’s Republic of China. said.
The military operation took place four days after Taiwan celebrated its National Day, and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-de said in a speech that China had no right to represent Taiwan, saying it would “resist annexation and invasion.” ” expressed his determination.
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On Monday, October 14th, a Chinese Coast Guard ship passed near the coast of Taiwan’s Matsu Islands. (Taiwan Coast Guard Bureau/AP News)
“The United States is gravely concerned about the People’s Liberation Army’s joint military exercises in and around Taiwan,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “China’s military provocation response to the annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation.
“We urge China to act with restraint and avoid further actions that could undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the broader region, which is essential to regional peace and prosperity and is of international concern. I request you to do so,” he added. . “We continue to monitor China’s activities and coordinate with our allies and partners on shared concerns.”
A procession of Taiwanese armed military vehicles patrols outside Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, during China’s Taiwan Siege military exercise, Monday, Oct. 14. (Daniel Chen/Anadolu via Getty Images)
At a press conference last Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized Taiwan’s independence, saying, “I would like to emphasize that “Taiwan independence” is incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait.”
He also said, “Lai Qingde authorities’ attempts to deny unification through the use of force are futile. No matter how many weapons they buy, they cannot stop the flow of history towards China’s unification.” .
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The Taiwanese Navy’s Guanghua VI-class missile boat moves through Taiwan’s Keelung Port on Monday, October 14th. (Reuters/Tiron Siu)
A map broadcast on Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed six large blocks surrounding Taiwan, marking locations where military exercises are being held, and circles drawn around Taiwan’s remote islands. China’s Ministry of Defense did not say how long the training would last.
China sent the aircraft carrier Liaoning for the exercise, and CCTV showed a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the carrier’s deck, but the ship’s exact location is unclear.
According to the Associated Press, Lieutenant Lieutenant Li Xi, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the exercise was a joint operation, involving the navy, army air force, and missile forces.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said it had deployed warships to designated points in the ocean to conduct surveillance and prepare. It also deployed mobile missiles and radar arrays on land to track ships at sea.
Members of the Taiwan Coast Guard monitor a China Coast Guard vessel passing near the coast of the Taiwanese-administered Matsu Islands on Monday, October 14. (Taiwan Coast Guard Bureau/AP News)
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“Our military will definitely respond appropriately to the Chinese threat,” Taiwan Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu said Monday at a forum in Taipei, according to the Associated Press. “Threatening other countries with force violates the fundamental spirit of the United Nations Charter of resolving disputes by peaceful means.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
