Beijing: President Xi Jinping urged troops to get ready for war, and China’s military launched a live-fire drill Tuesday close to Taiwan, keeping pressure on the self-governing island after holding extensive training.
Although the Communist Party of China has never held power on the island, it has declared that it will not give up on taking control of Taiwan and claims it as part of its territory.
Approximately 105 kilometers (66 miles) from Taiwan, the eastern island of Pingtan’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) declared Monday that “gun firing” would occur in a restricted area near the Chinese mainland.
According to the MSA, they will begin at 9:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) and last for four hours, covering an area of roughly 150 square kilometers (60 square miles).
Also read: Pakistan, China Agree to Bolster All-Weather Strategic Partnership
The closest location on the Chinese mainland to Taiwan’s main island is Pingtan.
Maritime authorities did not specify the target or which Chinese military would conduct the live firing.
Taiwan’s defense ministry responded to the drills by stating that it was closely monitoring China’s “military activities.”
Beijing’s “tactics to bolster its intimidation in conjunction with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait” may include the maneuvers, Taipei said.
[…] Also read: China Conducts Live-Fire Military Drill in Taiwan Strait […]