Finished Military Exercises, China's Eastern Theater Command Will Supervise Changes In The Taiwan Strait

Ilustrasi Jet tempur F-16 Taiwan membayangi pesawat pembom H-6 China. (Wikimedia Commons/Military News Service)

JAKARTA - China's military has completed various tasks around Taiwan, but will carry out regular patrols, said a statement on Wednesday, potentially marking the end of days of war games, although it will continue to put pressure on the island.

Infuriated by the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last week, China decided to extend military exercises around the island, from the original plan of only four days.

The drills that began last week included the launch of ballistic missiles, some of which flew over the island's capital, Taipei, to simulated sea and air strikes.

In a brief statement China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said its joint military operations around Taiwan had "successfully completed various tasks and effectively tested the troops' unified combat capability".

"Theatrical forces will monitor the changing situation in the Taiwan Strait, continue to carry out training and preparations for battle, organize regular combat readiness patrols towards the Taiwan Strait, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement added.

Separately, Taiwan Defense Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said, in response to China's statement, under the premise of not relaxing combat readiness, Taipei would "fully adjust troop allocations based on factors such as enemy threats".

Earlier on Wednesday, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters Chinese naval vessels were active off Taiwan's east and west coasts.

In the afternoon, China's navy resumed activities near the center line, an "unofficial buffer" in the Taiwan Strait, while Chinese fighter jets also continued to fly close to the line, the source said.

In response, Taiwan has sent planes and ships to the area to monitor the situation, the sources said.