China Signals War Footing: PLA Minesweepers In ‘Drill’ To “Break Taiwan Sea Mines Threat”

#PLA flotillas recently held multiple mine-sweeping exercises amid Taiwan's attempt to deploy sea mines in the Taiwan Straits. https://t.co/TJVLFfhgxG pic.twitter.com/vur6n6g6gH

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) September 21, 2020

• China Signals War Footing: PLA Minesweepers In ‘Drill’ To “Break Taiwan Sea Mines Threat”
  by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/
  China’s state media has confirmed what is a very serious and direct escalation in waters surrounding Taiwan amid ongoing PLA military exercises in the area. PLA ships are engaged in ‘mock’ minesweeping activities “amid Taiwan’s attempt to deploy sea mines in the Taiwan Straits,” though it’s unclear the degree to which China’s mine-sweeping ships actually entered the contested strait.
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  State-run Global Times described the minesweeping ships’ exercises as “honing their capability to effectively and rapidly clear sea lanes from mines, and open passages for other warships and landing forces, amid Taiwan secessionists’ attempt to surround the Taiwan Straits with mines.”
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  GT further claimed that it was a regular Taiwanese “tactic” to lay mines in the strait in order to “buy time for US reinforcements”. But the publication added this would not succeed due to the PLA’s thwarting the operations. The PLA drills, described state media, are ultimately aimed at countering “Taiwan secessionists and the US, who have been ramping up tensions in the Taiwan Straits.”
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