Taipei Taiwan, August 7, : Chinese forces took part in exercises focused on land-based attacks and airstrikes of long-range throughout Taiwan on Sunday, Taiwan’s military said in what was expected to be the last day of large-scale exercises being conducted in response to the island’s visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese military said at 12 noon local time they had conducted live-fire exercises in the airspace and in the waters around Taiwan “as scheduled”, CNN reported.
“The exercises focussed on joint fire land strikes as well as air strike capabilities with a long range,” the command stated in an announcement uploaded to the official account of its social media site Weibo without stating when the drills are over.
The exercises, which are scheduled to be held in six zones on the island, started on Thursday, and will be completed by Sunday 12 noon local time in Beijing, Chinese state media reported.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Sunday said it had detected a variety of Chinese vessels, aircrafts, and drones operating within the Taiwan Strait, in what it described as an “simulated attack against Taiwan’s principal island of Taiwan and Taiwan’s naval vessels” with an equivocal dial-up of the language of Saturday, when it announced that Chinese military exercises around the island could result in an ‘eventually simulated attack’ according to CNN.
Taiwan’s military “closely observed” the situation and sent ships and aircraft to “appropriately” respond to Chinese military drills on Taiwan The Ministry said.
It also claimed drones “intruded” into the outlying islands that are controlled by Taiwan, CNN reported.
The Ministry was unable to immediately release any specific number of Chinese vessels, aircrafts or drones spotted on Sunday morning, nor did they determine if they crossed the delicate median line in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland Chinese mainland.
san/
.
