Following Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, China has followed through on some of its threats towards Taipei, launching multiple missiles towards the waters near the island on Thursday, which caused shipping and air traffic delays.
“The exercises have begun,” China’s navy said of its live-fire drills.
The four-day exercises—which included firing nearly a dozen missiles—are taking place in six zones delineated by the Chinese military. Several face the island’s biggest commercial ports and overlap with what Taiwan claims as its territorial waters.
The zones effectively encircle Taiwan, in what amounts to a temporary blockade as some ship and air traffic is warned away.
The targets are the closest to Taiwan’s main island that China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, has ever set, Major Gen. Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, told China’s state broadcaster Thursday morning ahead of the drills. Some of the designated live-fire zones reach into waters within 12 miles of the Taiwanese coastline. (WSJ)
Taiwan confirmed 11 Dongfeng (DF) missiles were fired into the waters northeast and southwest of the island Thursday afternoon, local time.
Artillery launched from Pingtan Island, Fujian, less than 80 miles from Taiwan. A small show of strength in the massive military offensive China launched today that has Taiwan surrounded by warships, tracking fighter jets and monitoring for missile launches. pic.twitter.com/3KKiWiT5yK
— Debi Edward (@debiedwarditv) August 4, 2022
"We are closely monitoring enemy activities around the sea of Taiwan and that of outlying islands, and we will act appropriately," Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, calling the live-fire drills an “irrational act” that tried to “change the status quo.”
China’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior has jeopardized regional peace. Taiwan will resolutely defend ourselves. https://t.co/SuZzxQtUXh
— Bi-khim Hsiao ??? (@bikhim) August 4, 2022
#ROCArmedForces are resolved to uphold our sovereignty and guard our territory. We stand with vigilance tirelessly to #protectourcountry. We seek no escalation but devote ourselves to liberty, democracy and the stability and security of our surrounding region. pic.twitter.com/XYnhlT969P
— ??? Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. ???? (@MoNDefense) August 4, 2022
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