China announced the organization of “live fire” military exercises, Saturday, in the Taiwan Strait, in an initiative that precedes a possible visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
However, the maneuvers will be limited geographically and will take place in the immediate vicinity of the Chinese coasts.
China says Taiwan, the island of 24 million people, is part of its territory and intends to reunite it with the mainland.
Beijing opposes Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
Although US officials regularly visit Taiwan, which is separated by a narrow strip of water from mainland China, Beijing sees Pelosi’s visit as a major provocation.
In this context, the Chinese authorities supervising maritime security announced the organization of “military exercises” on Saturday off the coast of Pingtan Island in Fujian Province (east), located opposite Taiwan.
The statement issued Thursday, and which was reported by Chinese media on Friday, said that “live fire shootings will be conducted … and any entry” into these waters will be prohibited.
And Pingtan is the closest Chinese region to Taiwan, and the maneuvering area is located, on Saturday, about 120 kilometers from the Taiwanese coast.
For a few days, Beijing has been threatening “consequences” if the US official implements its project.
On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart, Joe Biden, during a phone call on the Taiwan issue, that “those who play with fire will eventually burn themselves.”
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