Following several days of sizable Chinese war drills, Taiwan’s top diplomat accused Beijing of plotting an invasion of the island as the island performed an artillery drill simulating defence against an attack.
Africa Daily News, New York recalls that last week, in a furious response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking American official to visit the autonomous island in decades, China staged its largest-ever air and naval exercises surrounding Taiwan.
Taiwan always fears invasion from China, which sees Taiwan’s neighbour as part of its territory that should one day be taken, by force if necessary.
‘China has used the drills in its military playbook to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan,’ foreign minister Joseph Wu told a press conference in Taipei on Tuesday, accusing Beijing of using Pelosi’s visit as a pretext for military action.
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‘China’s real intention is to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and entire region,’ he said.
The Chinese military disclosed that its Taiwan drills continued Tuesday and involved air and sea units.
The Eastern Theater command of the People’s Liberation Army said in a statement that it was conducting training exercises around the island, “focusing on joint blockade and joint support operations”.
Taipei’s drill started in the southern county of Pingtung shortly after 0040 GMT with the firing of target flares and artillery, ending just under an hour later at 0130 GMT, said Lou Woei-jye, spokesman for Taiwan’s Eighth Army Corps.
Soldiers fired from howitzers tucked into the coast, hidden from view of the road that leads to popular beach destination Kenting.
The drills, which will also take place Thursday, included the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzers, the army said.
Africa Daily News, New York recalls that on Monday, Lou told reporters that the drills had been scheduled previously and were not in response to China’s exercises.
The island routinely stages military drills simulating defence against a Chinese invasion, and last month practised repelling attacks from the sea in a “joint interception operation” as part of its largest annual exercises.
