A day China held large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands in what Beijing said was a response to Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te's remarks on its National Day that China has no right to represent Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited an island across the Taiwan Strait.
🇨🇳⚔️ China throws blockade drill on Taiwan. No ships no aircraft into the renegade Chinese province.
— Real Global News (@FelastoryMedia) October 14, 2024
🇹🇼 The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command the joint unified force that will be tasked with bringing the island back under Beijing's control began a… pic.twitter.com/oUcOQbMqy1
According to media reports, Xi visited Dongshan County, which has been serving as a regular base for People's Liberation Army drills in the past, and inspected work on rural revitalisation there.
Dongshan County is located in the southern part of Fujian Province of China. Fujian is the closest Chinese province to Taiwan, separated by the Taiwan Strait and has several cultural and linguistic similarities with Taiwan. Many Taiwanese residents are also known to be descendants of immigrants from Fujian.
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Xi learned “about local efforts to advance rural revitalization across the board, carry forward the revolutionary traditions and strengthen the protection of cultural heritage," an official Xinhua News Agency report said.
It is being suggested that the timing of Xi's visit to Dongshan County is aimed at sending the message to Taiwan that China intends to eventually bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwan had responded to China's aggressive conduct by saying its military will definitely deal with the threat from China appropriately.
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The Presidential Office of Taiwan urged China to “cease military provocations that undermine regional peace and stability and stop threatening Taiwan's democracy and freedom.”
China had deployed its Liaoning aircraft carrier for the drills, and CCTV showed a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the decks of the carrier, though the exact location of the carrier is unclear.
