Asia War Alert! This is China’s latest ‘Revenge’ to Taiwan

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Collect AFP, from the government’s announcement, the Chinese army (PLA) will focus its activities in several zones surrounding Taiwan. Some spots are only about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the island’s coast.

“The drill is unprecedented and that missiles will fly over Taiwan for the first time,” the state-run nationalist tabloid wrote. Global Times reported, citing military analysts.

“This is the first time the PLA will launch long-range artillery directly across the Taiwan Strait,” the newspaper said, again referring to the PLA.

Actually practice has started Tuesday. But Pelosi’s arrival on Wednesday saw the scale of training scale up. The military exercise was supposed to end on Sunday.

The Beijing news agency reported that one of the operations the PLA will carry out is a “joint blockade of Taiwan”. A Chinese military source also said the drills would be conducted “in preparation for actual combat”.

“If Taiwanese troops come into contact with the PLA on purpose and accidentally fire weapons, the PLA will take strict action,” the source said.

“All the consequences will be borne by the Taiwanese side,” he added.

Taiwan itself condemned the move. The government of President Tsai Ing Wen has warned that China is threatening the security of the East Asian region.

“Some of China’s exercise areas enter … territorial waters (Taiwan),” Defense Ministry Spokesman Sun Li-fang said at a press conference Wednesday.

“This is an irrational step to challenge the international order,” he added.

Taiwan said it had sent aircraft and deployed missile systems to “monitor” Chinese activity to its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ. Especially after Pelosi left the country Tabu night, 27 Chinese warplanes entered the area.

“China’s military drills, which are taking place in Taiwan’s 12 nautical miles of air and sea, are unprecedented,” a senior Taiwan defense official quoted a senior Taiwan defense official as saying. Reuters and CNA.

“Taiwan’s sea and air blockade,” he added.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau issued a warning to ships in the north, east and south ahead of the drill. They were urged to avoid military training areas and use alternative routes.

Taiwan has also since the beginning of the week barred some of its military officers from taking time off. Launch Expressthey say this step was taken because the island was preparing for war.

For China, Taiwan is its province. But the island of 23 million people rejects it and supports democratic rule.

“The military exercises that China announced represent a clear escalation of Chinese military activity around Taiwan and from the last Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1995-1996,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group.

“Beijing is signaling that they reject Taiwan’s sovereignty,” he said.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]