Taiwan’s military mobilised its forces and said it was confident it could protect the island, after China started two days of “punishment” drills around Taiwan in what it said was a response to “separatist acts”.
The exercises, in the Taiwan Strait and around groups of Taiwan-controlled islands that sit next to the Chinese coast, come just three days after Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan’s new president, a man Beijing detests as a “separatist”.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has denounced Mr Lai’s inauguration speech, in which he called on China to stop its threats and on Tuesday Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Mr Lai “disgraceful”.
Mr Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it had started joint military drills involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force.
The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of Taiwan, as well as areas around the Taiwan-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, the command said in a statement.
Taiwan’s defence ministry condemned the drills, saying that it had dispatched forces to areas around the island and was confident it could protect its territory.
Taiwanese officials had said in the run-up to the inauguration they were keeping watch for Chinese military movements.
In August 2022, China launched live-fire military exercises around Taiwan immediately after a visit by the former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi which was condemned heavily by Chinese officials.
That series of exercises, the scale of which was unprecedented, lasted for four days, followed by several days of additional drills.
