FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
China is conducting military exercises around Taiwan simulating the invasion and blockade of key areas of the island, as a warning against "separatist forces".
The Chinese military said the army, navy, air force and missile forces were sent for the drills, which also included live-fire exercises.
Codenamed "Mission Justice 2025", the exercises are taking place days after the US announced the sale of one of its largest arms packages to Taiwan worth $11 billion (£8.2 billion).
This action caused strong protests from Beijing, which in turn imposed sanctions on American defense firms.
Taiwan's push to boost its defenses this year has also angered Beijing, which claims the self-governing island as its territory.
Taiwan's presidential office has criticized upcoming Chinese drills, calling them a challenge to international norms.
Taiwan's defense ministry said it detected Chinese aircraft and ships around Taiwan on Monday morning and has deployed its forces and missile systems to monitor the situation. Its forces are on "high alert" to defend Taiwan and "protect our people," the ministry said.
In a post on Weibo, the Chinese military's Eastern Command, responsible for the Taiwan Strait, described the upcoming military exercise as a "shield of justice."
"All those plotting independence will be exterminated as soon as they encounter the shield!" the post read.
While some initial exercises have begun, the military said it will hold a major exercise from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Beijing's Foreign Ministry called the exercises a "severe punishment for separatist forces seeking independence through force" and warned "external forces" against "using Taiwan to contain China."
"Any evil scheme to hinder China's reunification is doomed to fail," ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Monday.
While China has long called for "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, it also has a law that says it will use "non-peaceful means" to prevent the island's "secession."
Beijing has accused Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, of trying to "implement Taiwan's independence."
The president claims that Taiwan is already a sovereign nation and therefore does not need to officially declare independence.
On Sunday, Lai said in a local television interview that Taiwan needed to "continue to increase the difficulty so that [China] never reaches the standard" for an invasion.
He also said his administration was committed to "preserving the status quo" and would not provoke China, although he added that peace relies on "real strength."
Polls consistently show that the majority of Taiwanese want the "status quo," meaning they want neither to unite with China nor to formally declare independence.
Chinese state media published a map released by the military showing Tuesday's training sites around Taiwan.
Since 2022, Beijing has increased military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, usually in response to what it perceives as threats, such as former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022 and Lai's inauguration in 2024.
The People's Liberation Army said at the time that China's latest live-fire drill in the Taiwan Strait, held in April, simulated attacks on ports and key energy facilities. Along with the drills, the Chinese military released a series of cartoons depicting Lai as a "parasite."
This week's military exercises are the first to be held under the leadership of Yang Zhibin, the new head of the Eastern Theater Command, who took office in October.
Since taking office, Lai has pledged to increase defense spending and improve the island's defense capabilities in the face of rising tensions with Beijing.
In October, the Taiwanese president announced the construction of a dome-shaped air defense system to protect against "hostile threats," although he did not explicitly mention China.
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