China will conduct manoeuvres around Taiwan, giving a ‘stern warning’ to external forces. military news

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Beijing will impose a maritime and air ban on five areas around Taiwan for 10 hours from 00:00 GMT on Tuesday.

China has deployed air, naval and rocket troops in the waters around Taiwan for the drills.

China’s military claims these drills aim to test combat readiness and issue a “strong warning” against “separatist” and “external interference” forces.

The announcement on Monday came amid anger in Beijing over an $11.1 billion arms sale by the United States to Taiwan and a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that the Japanese military could get involved if China attacks the self-ruled territory.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and will use force if needed to take it.

In a statement, the Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command said it was sending army, navy, air force and rocket force troops to five regions around Taiwan for its “Just Mission 2025” starting on Monday.

It said live-fire drills would begin on Tuesday in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Eastern Theatre Command spokesman Shi Yi said the activities would focus on “training for maritime and air combat readiness patrols, achieving unified control, sealing off key ports and areas, and conducting multi-dimensional interdiction.”

“This exercise serves as a serious warning to ‘Taiwan’s Independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces,” he said.

A separate statement accompanying the map showed five large areas around the island where “live firing activities will be conducted” from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm (00:00-10:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

“For security reasons, any irrelevant ship or aircraft is advised not to enter the above waters and airspace,” the statement said.

The planned drills mark China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022

after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island—and were described by the state-owned Xinhua news agency as “a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”

According to Xinhua, during the exercises, Xi said Chinese ships and aircraft would approach Taiwan “in close proximity from different directions,” and troops from multiple services would “engage in a joint attack to test their joint operational capabilities”.

The Chinese military released a poster titled “Shields of Justice: Smashing Illusions”, which features two golden shields decorated with the insignia of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Great Wall of China, as well as three military aircraft and two ships.

While the PLA practiced port blockades around Taiwan during war games last year, this is the first time it has publicly said the exercises around the island are aimed at preventing foreign military interference.

The exercise comes after the US announced earlier this month that it had approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in the largest arms package ever for the island.

China’s Defence Ministry opposed the move, warning that the military would “take forceful measures” in response.

Over the weekend, Taiwan said it had deployed aircraft and naval assets, as well as missile systems, to monitor Chinese activities after the Defence Ministry detected three Chinese military aircraft and seven naval ships in its vicinity between Saturday and Sunday.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said in a statement on its website that the three Chinese aircraft crossed the centre line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the country’s southwestern air defence zone, or ADIZ.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told Sanli e-television that the island should continue to raise the costs of aggression and strengthen its indigenous defence capabilities to deter China, stressing that peace can only be secured through strength.

China sets the year 2027.

“If China sets the year 2027 to be ready to invade Taiwan, we have only one choice: keep increasing the difficulty so that China can never meet that standard. Taiwan will naturally be safe,” Lai said.