Fresh tensions as China continues military drills in Taiwan

There is rising tensions China continued military drills in Taiwan on Monday, ignoring calls to end the largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan following the visit of the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, last week.

The military exercise was scheduled to last three days and expected to end on Sunday, but China resumed fresh drills on Monday.

In the Monday exercise, China released fighter jets, warships, and ballistic missiles.

China indicated on Monday the drills will continue, insisting “the eastern theatre of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island.”

The Chinese military’s Eastern Command noted that the exercises were “focusing on organising joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations”.

China is also prepared for live-fire drills on Monday in parts of the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

There is palpable fear China may place a blockade on the self-ruled island, which it has insisted is a territory of China.

Taiwan military, while remaining  calm since the military drills began, has revealed it will commence anti-landing exercises in Taiwan’s southernmost county of Pingtung on Tuesday and Thursday.

Lou Woei-jye, spokesman of the Eighth Army Corps, had stated, “We will practice counter moves against simulated enemy attacks on Taiwan.” He noted that the exercises will include the deployment of hundreds of troops and about 40 howitzer guns.

Taiwan’s premier, Su Tseng-chang, also accused China of “barbarously using military action” to disturb peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Su Tseng-chang had declared: “We call on the Chinese government not to go around wielding its military power, showing its muscles everywhere and jeopardising the peace of the region.”

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Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had declared that the U.S. is “determined to act responsibly” to avoid a major global crisis.

There was fear that the drills demonstrated Chinese military capability for a tight blockade of the island and hindering US forces from accessing the territory to support Taiwan when war breaks out.

Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and a former US Navy officer, was cited to have stated: “In some areas, the PLA.

“If the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today’s Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent — and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan.”