China’s People’s Liberation Army has concluded its unprecedented four-day military exercise encircling Taiwan following a controversial visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island nation last week.
On Sunday, the Chinese army deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles around Taiwan as it carried out “island saturation attack drills” and “bomber deterrence flights”. Experts have described it as the simulation of a blockade and ultimate invasion of the island.
“After completing the mock strike mission, several bomber formations flew across the Taiwan Strait from north to south and from south to north simultaneously, carrying out a deterrence mission around the island jointly with other PLA services and branches,” state-run tabloid, Global Times said in a late night online report.
According to the report, the aim of Sunday’s exercise was to carry out an “island attack” exercise along with a “lockdown” drill.
Even as the four-day exercise came to a halt in Taiwan Strait, China announced that it is carrying out new military exercises in the Yellow Sea —which is located between China and the Korean peninsula—and Bohai Sea— off China’s east coast
“The drill on the Bohai Sea will be held between August 8 and September 8, while another on the Yellow Sea will be conducted between August 7 and 15,” China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) said in a statement.
The new announcements come as China announced to conduct “regular” military drills on the eastern side of the median line in the Taiwan Strait from now on. The median line is an unofficial buffer separating the two sides, according to a senior military analyst who was quoted in Chinese state media.
Also read | China keeps up pressure as Taiwan detects 66 planes and 14 warships in latest drills
The military drills, which took place in six zones around the island, began on Thursday. It deployed more than 100 fighter jets, fired ballistic missiles and dispatched dozens of warships for the drill, the largest such exercise to be held around Taiwan.
Also read | Amid Taiwan drills, China to conduct live-fire exercise near Korean peninsula
Beijing considers Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be reunited with the Chinese mainland. But Taiwan, which has a population of around 23 million, is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from the mainland.
(With inputs from agencies)
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