KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Almost every day, Chinese warships sail through the waters around Taiwan and fighter jets fly towards the island and then turn back. What if they attack suddenly?
Taiwan’s military on Wednesday concluded two days of exercises at sea and in the air to practice defending against such surprise attacks. Journalists observed the exercise from a high-speed boat escorting the minelayer.
Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Sun Lifang told reporters at the Tuoin Naval Base in southern Taiwan that “unilateral irrational actions could easily escalate tensions and disrupt stability in the Taiwan Strait region.” Told.
China claims the autonomous island, with a population of 23 million people, as its own territory and says it should be under Chinese government control. The long-standing rift has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. As relations between the rivals have worsened in recent years, fears have grown that the United States could be drawn into war if hostilities erupt.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense announced in a daily report that seven Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels were spotted near Taiwan in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. Wednesday. It was also reported that a Chinese balloon had flown off the northern coast.
The annual exercise comes less than three weeks after voters elected Lai Qingde as the next president, giving the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, which China opposes, a third consecutive four-year term. Ta.
One of the objectives of the exercise is to increase public confidence in the island’s defense capabilities.
While Taiwan’s military is smaller than China’s, it has purchased high-tech weapons from the United States, revitalized its domestic arms industry, and extended its mandatory military service from four months to one year.
In another sign of tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s government protested on Tuesday after Chinese aviation authorities announced changes to the southbound route of passenger flights that are expected to bring planes closer to Taiwan’s coast. did.
Taiwan first objected to the flight path when it opened in 2015, citing air security and sovereignty concerns, and China agreed to move the route seven miles (11 kilometers) closer to its side. However, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced that it would suspend the “countervailing measures” starting Thursday.
China also announced it would allow aircraft to join flight routes from two coastal cities on opposite sides of Taiwan. Previously, planes were allowed to use the flight path to reach these cities, but could not join it from those cities as they would have to fly towards Taiwan .
According to Taiwanese media, the Taiwan Civil Aviation Authority strongly protested the move, saying it was “clearly contrary to the agreement reached between the two sides in 2015.”
A Chinese government spokesperson said the changes were routine and aimed at easing air traffic and ensuring flight safety in busy flight corridors.
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A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that training began on Wednesday. They started on Tuesday.