China is holding live-fire drills off the coast of its southern Fujian province facing Taiwan, a week after deploying an aircraft carrier, other ships, and warplanes in large-scale military exercises in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's speech on Taiwan National Day.
#Matsu Defense Command staged a live-fire exercise at #Renai Village in #Nangan Township. The successful drill demonstrates that the fighting men & women of MDC in outlying #Lienchiang County are highly trained & combat-ready. Make no mistake: #Taiwan is an #IslandOfResilience. pic.twitter.com/hxdlEwg4QT
— Taiwan Today (@Taiwan_Today) June 3, 2020
The live fire drills were being held near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province from 9 am to 1 pm, according to a notice from the Maritime Safety Administration, which warned ships to avoid the area.
BREAKING NOW: China unleashes live-fire military drills on Pingtan Island, just 130km from Taiwan's coast, in a show of force that's sending shockwaves across the region. The self-governing island is on high alert as China asserts its claim on Taiwanese territory. The US and…
— WorldOrderWatcher (@StayInformedNow) October 22, 2024
China's drills were part of an annual exercise, Taiwan's defense ministry said and added that it was tracking the drills. It cannot be ruled out that it is one of the ways by Beijing to expand the deterrent effect in line with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait, the statement added.
ALSO READ: China deploys warplanes, ships near Taiwan in aggressive show of force; US calls for restraint
China, which repeatedly vowed to take Taiwan by force if necessary, has been frequently conducting similar military off the Taiwanese coast in recent years, increasing its presence in the waters and skies around Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims is part of China.
Taiwan's premier Cho Jung-tai said China shouldn't be conducting such exercises, observing that these would create unnecessary tensions. "No matter how large the scale of the drill is, they should not be frequent and close to Taiwan," BBC quoted him as saying.
READ MORE: China slams US, Canadian warships' Taiwan Strait transit; claims it disrupted peace, stability
In response to Chinese provocations, the US continued to host what it calls freedom of navigation transits through the Taiwan Strait. On Sunday, the destroyer USS Higgins and the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver transited the narrow band of ocean that separates China and Taiwan.
Germany too had sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait last month.
On Monday, China flayed the move by the US and Canada, saying the actions of the warships of the two countries disrupted the peace and stability of the region.
