End Of Military Exercises Around Taiwan, China: Theater Troops Ready To Fight Anytime

Chinese frigate Yueyang (FF 575). (Wikimedia Commons/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Shannon Renfroe)

JAKARTA - China ended three days of military drills around Taiwan on Monday, saying it had tested integrated military capabilities in real combat conditions, after practicing precision strikes and blockading the island Beijing regards as its own.

Beijing is understood to have started the drills on Saturday, after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei following a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

The Chinese military said it had "successfully completed" the drills and "comprehensively tested" the capabilities of several units in real combat conditions.

"Troops in the theater are ready to fight around the clock and can fight at any time, resolutely crushing all forms of Taiwan independence separatism and foreign interference," the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.

Earlier, Chinese state television reported on Monday, planes, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers armed with live missiles, and warships carried out drills to "establish an air and water blockade situation covering many islands".

The Eastern Theater Command said the aircraft carrier Shandong had also taken part in combat patrols, with a number of warplanes taking off from the ship's deck.

Separately, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said that as of 10:00 GMT on Monday, they had sighted 12 Chinese ships and 91 military aircraft in the vicinity of the island, including a J-15 fighter aircraft which was based on a carrier flown from Shandong.

The aircraft carrier Shandong conducted air operations in waters close to Japan's Okinawa Islands on Sunday, Japan's Defense Ministry said Monday.

Fighter jets and helicopters took off and landed on the carrier 120 times from Friday to Sunday, with the carrier, three other warships, and a support ship within 230 kilometers (143 miles) of Miyako Island, the ministry said Japanese defense.

Japan has been following China's military drills around Taiwan "with great interest," a government spokesman said Monday.

Separately, the European Union expressed concern Monday, saying Taiwan's status must not be changed by force because an escalation, accident, or use of force there would have major global implications.

Meanwhile, the United States has said it is watching China's exercises closely.

By contrast, Russia, which has declared a "limitless" partnership with China, said on Monday Beijing had the right to respond to repeated "provocations" against it and carry out military exercises around Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Taiwan responded to Beijing's announcement by saying it would "never relax" its efforts to strengthen combat readiness, and will closely monitor China's missile power and the movements of the Shandong aircraft carrier.

It is known that China has never renounced the use of force to bring this democratically ruled island under Beijing's control. Taiwan's government vehemently denies China's claims and condemns the drills.