In brief
In a provocative maneuver, China has declared military drills around Taiwan, simulating the island's blockade as a warning to those pursuing independence. This comes shortly after the U.S. approved a significant arms package for Taiwan, heightening tensions in the region. Taiwan's government denounces the drills, asserting readiness to defend against perceived aggression while maintaining its stance on the island's sovereignty.
China has announced it will hold military drills around Taiwan simulating the seizure and blockade of the island's key areas, as a warning against separatist forces.
The army, navy, air force and rocket force would be dispatched for the drills scheduled for Tuesday, which include live-fire exercises, the Chinese military said.
Codenamed Justice Mission 2025, the drills are taking place days after the US announced the sale of one of its largest weapons packages to Taiwan worth $11bn (£8.2bn). That move drew sharp protest from Beijing which in turn sanctioned US defense firms.
Taiwan's push to ramp up its defense this year has also angered Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory.
Taiwan's presidential office has criticized the upcoming Chinese drills, calling them a challenge to international norms.
Taiwan's defense ministry said that they detected Chinese aircraft and ships around Taiwan on Monday morning, and have deployed their own forces and missile systems to monitor the situation. Its forces are on high alert to defend Taiwan and protect our people, the ministry said.
While China has long called for the peaceful reunification with Taiwan, it also has a law stating it will resort to non-peaceful means to prevent the island's secession. Beijing has accused Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te of pursuing Taiwan independence. The president maintains Taiwan is already a sovereign nation and therefore has no need to formally declare independence.
In October, the Taiwanese president announced the building of a dome-like air defense system to guard against hostile threats - though he did not explicitly mention China.
Polls consistently show that most Taiwanese people want the status quo, meaning they neither want to unify with China nor to formally declare independence.
