New Delhi: China on Thursday began the largest-ever military air and sea exercises around the self-governed island of Taiwan, soon after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s unannounced visit that infuriated the country.
Live fire drills in six areas around Taiwan got underway at noon local time and would continue till midday on 7 August.
Chinese mouthpiece Global Times said, “By surrounding Taiwan entirely, the PLA (Chinese People’s Liberation Army) is completely blockading the island demonstrating the Chinese mainland’s absolute control over the Taiwan question.”
On Wednesday too — hours after the high-profile visit by Pelosi — China sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
As many as six J-11 fighter jets, five J-16 multirole fighters and 16 SU-30 multirole fighters entered the air defence zone. The Taiwan defence ministry tweeted: “27 PLA aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*5 and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022.”
China had also flown 21 military aircraft Monday into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defence zone, after news leaked of Pelosi’s Tuesday visit. The country China also announced multiple economic measures against Taiwan in retaliation.
Wen-Ti Sung, a political scientist who teaches at the Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies programme, told ThePrint: “Pelosi’s visit irritates China since it means greater recognition for Taiwan. In that case, the move is precisely to step up military action in territorial waters to cancel out Pelosi’s diplomatic visit.”
Pelosi was also awarded Taiwan’s highest civilian honour, the Order of Propitious Clouds, by President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday.
Global Times quoted analysts as saying that China chose to “avert a World War III” by not intercepting Nancy Pelosi’s flight. “Instead, China will use Pelosi’s visit as a chance to push forward the progress of reunification (of Taiwan with mainland China), starting with the island-blockading, combat-rehearsing drills that could become routine,” the paper said.
The tabloid also said the exercises were “unprecedented” and that missiles would fly over Taiwan for the first time.
The exercises included “joint blockades, sea assaults, land attacks and air combat trainings with the participation of advanced weapons including J-20 stealth fighter jets and DF-17 hypersonic missiles after the drills started on Tuesday evening,” the Global times reported.
The paper also reported that China would take strong action against Taiwan secessionists for “splitting the country, destroying the reunification of the motherland and endangering national security”.
China considers Taiwan as its own territory though it has never ruled it while the United States follows the principle of “strategic ambiguity” towards the island, recognising China’s claim but at the same time pushing democratic Taiwan on the world stage.
After the brief visit, Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.”
I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s defence ministry has said China’s drills violated United Nations rules.
On Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense described China’s military activities as “irrational” and with the “intention of changing the status quo and undermining regional peace and stability”.
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