Immediately after the aircraft with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, landed in Taipei, the Chinese armed forces announced that they would conduct military drills in the coming days in areas around Taiwan.
In a statement, Beijing said that from 12:00 on Thursday 4 August to 12:00 on Sunday 7 August, military exercises with live fire will be conducted in sea areas and airspace around Taiwan.
The map released by Beijing shows that the island will literally be "surrounded" by Chinese forces. (In red are the areas bound.)
The ministry clarified that the Chinese military has been put on high alert and will launch "targeted military operations" in response to Pelosi's visit.
Separately, the command of the Eastern Command Wing of the People's Liberation Army made it known that it will conduct joint military operations near Taiwan starting tonight and will conduct conventional missile tests in the sea area east of Taiwan.
The drills will include joint air and sea exercises in the north, southwest, northeast of Taiwan, long-range firing in the Taiwan Straits and missile tests in the sea area east of Taiwan, the Eastern Command Command Command said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry has described as false reports by Chinese state media that Chinese Su-35 fighter jets flew over the Taiwan Strait separating the island from China.
The ministry said in a statement that it was fully aware of activities near Taiwan and would send forces in response to "hostile threats."
In recent months, violations of Taiwan's ADIZ have been frequent, with Beijing engaging in mock insults and simulated mass attacks. The ADIZ is a surveillance zone that Taiwan has established, which far exceeds the boundaries of its airspace. Typically within this zone Taiwan has the right to recognize foreign aircraft entering it.
At the same time, U.S. naval forces in the region around Taiwan have been reinforced.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that at least four warships, including an aircraft carrier, are in the waters east of Taiwan. The U.S. Navy says the deployment of forces is as part of routine activity.
Source: Proto Thema
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