China announced Monday that it had “successfully completed” three days of military exercises around Taiwan, an island it claims as part of its territory.
The exercises are a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting in California last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
After three days of maneuvers, China declared that it had “successfully completed” its so-called “Joint Sword” exercises.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that the exercise “fully tested the integrated joint combat capability of multiple sectors of the army under combat conditions.”
Beijing simulated targeted attacks against Taiwan, as well as the siege of the island, including its “sealing. Chinese state media reported that dozens of planes had practiced an “air blockade.”
The United States sent the missile destroyer on Monday USS Millius.“This freedom of navigation operation respected the rights, freedoms and legitimate uses of the sea,” the US Navy said in a statement, explaining that the ship had passed near the Spratly Islands, an archipelago claimed by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam , Malaysia and Brunei, located about 1,300 kilometers from Taiwan.
The deployment of Milius drew condemnation from China, which claimed the vessel had “illegally invaded” its territorial waters.
Beijing warned on Monday that Taiwanese independence and peace on both sides of the strait are “mutually exclusive”, blaming the Taiwanese government and unnamed “foreign forces” for the tensions.
“If we want to protect peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, we must firmly oppose any form of Taiwanese separatism,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warned.
After the end of the maneuvers, Taiwan’s foreign ministry condemned China for undermining “peace and stability” in the region.
China and Taiwan parted ways after a civil war in 1949. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to win it back one day.
