China has announced it will hold military drills around Taiwan simulating the seizure and blockade of the island's key areas, as a warning against separatist forces.
The army, navy, air force, and rocket force would be dispatched for the drills scheduled for Tuesday, which include live-fire exercises, according to the Chinese military.
Codenamed Justice Mission 2025, the drills are taking place days after the US announced the sale of one of its largest weapons packages to Taiwan worth $11 billion (£8.2 billion). That move drew sharp protest from Beijing, which responded with sanctions against US defense firms.
Taiwan's push to ramp up its defense this year has also strained relations with Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory.
Taiwan's presidential office criticized the upcoming Chinese drills, describing them as a challenge to international norms. The Taiwan defense ministry reported detecting Chinese aircraft and ships around Taiwan on Monday morning and stated that their forces are on high alert to defend the island.
In social media posts, the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command characterized the military drill as a shield of justice, threatening to annihilate those supporting independence for Taiwan.
Despite continued calls for peaceful reunification, China's laws permit the use of non-peaceful means to prevent what it perceives as the island's secession.
Beijing accuses Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te of pursuing independence, while Lai asserts that Taiwan is already a sovereign nation, thus not requiring an official declaration of independence.
Lai emphasized Taiwan's need to increase defense capabilities to complicate any plans China may have for invasion and insisted that Taiwan would not provoke conflict, but rather maintain a status quo reliant on real strength.
Polling indicates that most Taiwanese citizens prefer the status quo, wishing neither for unification with China nor a formal declaration of independence.
The upcoming drills mark a continuation of China's ramped-up military activity in the Taiwan Strait, often responding to perceived threats such as visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan.
As tensions rise, both China and Taiwan are intensifying their military preparations, with Taiwan recently conducting significant military exercises to bolster its defenses.
The drills this week aim not only at Taiwan but also serve to demonstrate China's military capabilities beyond its immediate borders, particularly in light of fraying relations with Japan.
