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China has conducted military exercises close to Taiwan, escalating tensions in the region. The drills are seen as a message to Taiwan and the U.S. as China seeks to regain control over its territory reported by CBS News.
On April 7, 2023, two warships of the Taiwanese Navy were observed docked in Keelung, Taiwan.
China Conducts Military Drills Near Taiwan, Increasing Tensions
China conducted military drills near Taiwan over the weekend, sending planes, ships, and personnel to “the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait,” according to the Inquirer News. The three-day operation, dubbed “Joint Sword,” is aimed at rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan and will run until Monday.
There will be live-fire drills off the coast of China’s Fujian province, which borders Taiwan. The drills came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited with US President Barack Obama. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in California, which has enraged Beijing.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry denounced the drills, and Tsai Ing-wen pledged to work with the U.S. and other countries in the face of authoritarian expansionism. With regard to whether it would use force to defend Taiwan, the U.S. has been evasive.
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China Conducts War Games Amid Growing Tensions in the Region
China’s military drills are seen as a message to Taiwan and the United States, as China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it. The drills also followed the departure of French President Macron and EU Chief Ursula Von der Leyen to urge Xi Jinping to help end the war in Ukraine.
China’s war games deployed a range of weaponry, including long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers, and refuellers, to warn against collusion between separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence” and external forces. The drills come after China deployed warships, missiles, and fighter jets around Taiwan last August
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