Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

After Macron's visit, China launches three days of military drills in Taiwan Strait

Chinese maritime law enforcement fleet led by a patrol and rescue vessel Haixun 06 patrols during a joint patrol operation in the central and northern waters of the Taiwan Straits, in Fujian province, China in this handout drone picture released on April 5, 2023 and provided to Reuters on April 6, 2023. VIA REUTERS - Maritime Safety Administration o

China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a "stern warning" to the self-ruled island's government following a meeting between its president and the US House speaker. The war games started after a 4-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to China.

Dubbed "United Sharp Sword", the three-day operation will run until Monday, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Tsai immediately denounced the drills, pledging to work with "the US and other like-minded countries" in the face of "continued authoritarian expansionism".

China's war games will send planes, ships and personnel into "the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east", said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the coast of China's Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, the local maritime authority said.

The manoeuvres come after a meeting between President Tsai Beijing and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.

"Necessary for safeguarding sovereignty"

"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," the PLA's Shi said.

"The operations are necessary for safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Taiwan's defence ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday.

The ministry expressed "solemn condemnation of such irrational actions", adding the detections -- which included 29 jets crossing Taiwan's median line, the largest number yet this year -- took place between 6 and 11 am local time (2200 GMT to 0300 GMT).

China was using Tsai's US visit as an "excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region", the ministry said.

The drills also follow the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who were in China to urge Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

(Agencies)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.