Second day of China’s joint sword training in encirclement of Taiwan

In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said the US had “consistently urged restraint and there is no change to the status quo,” but noted that it had sufficient resources to deliver on its security commitments in Asia.

The United States has sold weapons to Taiwan for decades to ensure Taiwan’s right to self-defense, but has been deliberately vague about whether to defend Taiwan militarily.

live fire training

Monday’s exercise includes live-fire training off the coast of China’s Fujian province, which faces Taiwan.

“These operations serve as a solemn warning against collusion and provocative activities between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external forces,” said PLA spokesman Shi Yin.

“This operation is necessary to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

China regards the democratic and autonomous Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day take it by force if necessary.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Saturday it had spotted as many as nine Chinese warships around the island, along with dozens of aircraft.

According to data collected by AFP, the number of aircraft passing through Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) is the highest in a single day this year.

“The Chinese Communist Party is intentionally creating tension in the Taiwan Strait, negatively affecting international security and economic development,” the Ministry of National Defense said.

The exercise comes hours after French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting China, left Beijing to urge President Xi Jinping to help end the war in Ukraine.

In August of last year, China deployed warships, missiles and warplanes around Taiwan in its biggest show of force in years after McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, visited the island.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting a dwindling number of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, along with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.