China has shown no signs of letting up when it comes to its military activities, including but not limited to live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait as part of its sustained campaign to control Taiwan, a territory it regards as its own. The exercises, which took place on Tuesday, came in the aftermath of several military activities that have contributed to rising tensions in the area, particularly due to Western interference in support of the island.
All of these activities come right after previous, record-high exercises that occurred last week. The said exercises practiced encirclement of the island of Taiwan. This new showcase of military might comes just after the American and Canadian Navy vessels cruised through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend. The Chinese military spokespeople decried this movement denouncing the West for being ‘provocative and disruptive’ towards the peace and contentment of the region.
The live-fire exercises are being conducted in the vicinity of Niushan Island, which happens to be the nearest geographical feature that can be found between the mainlands of China and Taiwan, lying roughly 100 miles from the capital of Taiwan, Taipei. Another set of drills is confirmed to be held to the north, also according to the Maritime Safety Administration in the city of Fuzhou in China which is responsible for the region.
Taiwan Responds to China’s Drills
Despite the growing tension, however, Taiwan seems to play down the importance of such actions. According to Taiwan’s Premier, Cho Jung-tai, the drills are more for show than anything else and have little real value except to create needless tension. He noted that the Taiwanese forces are on high alert and there is no expectation of any surprises occurring.
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Similarly, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense regarded the drills as standard practice although it acknowledged that China may be utilising them as a tool of deterrence. Analysts believe that the maneuvers may be a reaction to the sighting of Western naval vessels in the area. Shu Hsiao-Huang, a military analyst at Taiwan’s Institute of Defense and Security Research, explained that postage stamps with military-themed images pour in the interception of the aggressors.
Minutes by M31GlobalNews
