Socio-Economics History Blog

Socio-Economics History Blog

71 Chinese Military Aircraft Cross Taiwan Strait Median Line To Kick Off 3-Day ‘Encirclement Drills’

by mosesman

  • 71 Chinese Military Aircraft Cross Taiwan Strait Median Line To Kick Off 3-Day ‘Encirclement Drills’
    by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/
    China has begun three days of military drills around Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait as its direct response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California held days ago.
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    Parts of the drills are expected to extend up to 12 days. WSJ notes that this is what greeted the return of Tsai to her home: “Hours after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taiwan on Friday night, Chinese maritime safety authorities said the country’s navy planned to conduct seven live-fire exercises over the course of 12 days off the coast of Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, starting Saturday morning.”
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    While the Wednesday meeting with McCarthy was presented by the allies as a show of democratic solidarity, Beijing had warned of “resolute measures” while deploying an aircraft carrier strike group off the self-ruled island’s coast.
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    Early Saturday, China launched live-fire “combat readiness patrols” until April 10, according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command. The drills are called United Sharp Sword and expand in scope from the north to south of the island, utilizing air and sea, particularly airspace to Taiwan’s east, the statement indicated.
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    The drills have already involved on Saturday a whopping 71 Chinese military aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, Reuters confirms. “This is a serious warning to the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces’ collusion and provocation, and it is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the PLA said.
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