China holds 'shooting' drills off Taiwan's coast, as Beijing vows 'reunification' push
China’s military held “shooting training” on Wednesday off Taiwan’s southwest coast in a move Taipei described as provocative and dangerous.
China’s military held “shooting training” on Wednesday off Taiwan’s southwest coast in a move Taipei described as provocative and dangerous, while a senior Chinese leader vowed unswerving efforts to bring the island under Beijing’s control.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activities, including several rounds of full-scale war games during the past three years.
Shortly before 9 a.m. (8 p.m. Tuesday ET), Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a statement, it had detected 32 Chinese military aircraft carrying out a “joint combat readiness drill” with Chinese warships in the Taiwan Strait area.
“During this period it even blatantly violated international practice by setting up a drills area in waters about 40 nautical miles off the coast ... without prior warning, claiming that it would carry out ‘shooting training,’” the ministry added.
Taiwan’s major southwestern population centers of Kaohsiung and Pingtung are both home to important naval and air bases. Kaohsiung is also home to Taiwan’s largest port, a busy hub for global shipping.
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