China ended its military maneuvers around the island of Taiwanafter six uninterrupted days of live-fire exercises in the area, the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) announced on Wednesday.
(You may be interested: Taiwan accuses China of preparing an invasion of the island)
In a brief statement published on the Weibo social network, equivalent in China Speaking to Twitter, PLA Eastern Theater of Operations Command spokesman Shi Yi claimed that they had “successfully completed” several objectives in the recent drills.
“The PLA has successfully completed various tasks and effectively tested the troops’ integrated joint combat capabilities,” Shi added.
In the same announcement they assured that they would maintain regular exercises and normal operations in the area, including patrols in the Taiwan Strait.
“Troops in the (east) will monitor changes in the situation across the Taiwan Strait, continue to conduct military training and prepare for war,” the PLA added.
They will continue to conduct military training and prepare for war.
This statement comes the day after the Taiwanese army itself began its maneuvers to test its defensive capacity against a hypothetical invasion by China, exercises that will continue on Thursday.
The Chinese war games began last Thursday in response to the visit to Taipei by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and were initially due to end on Sunday.
(Also: China-Taiwan tensions highlight bilateral dependency)
Taiwan has described China’s military presence in the aforementioned areas as a “blockade”, and the island’s President, Tsai Ing-wen, called China’s “deliberately heightened military threat” “irresponsible”.
China, which described Pelosi’s visit as a “farce” and “deplorable betrayal”, claims sovereignty over the island and considers Taiwan a rebellious province since the Kuomintang nationalists withdrew there in 1949, after losing the civil war against the communists
Warning against Taiwan
At the time, China has said it will have zero tolerance for “separatist activities” in Taiwan, insisting it will retake the island by force if necessary, according to a white paper released on Wednesday.
“The Taiwan Question and the Reunification of China in the New Era”, the white paper published by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, defines how Beijing intends to take over the island through economic incentives and military pressure.
“We are ready to create a vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will not leave room for separatist activities in any form,” the white paper said.
“We will work with the greatest sincerity and will do everything possible to achieve peaceful reunification. But we will not renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures,” the document highlights.
“This is to protect us against outside interference and all separatist activities. It is in no way targeting our Chinese compatriots in Taiwan. The use of force will be the last resort taken in dire circumstances,” it added.
(You can read: Beijing takes relations with Washington to its lowest level in years)
The last time China issued a white paper on Taiwan was in 2000. The new document was released on the same day a senior Taiwanese opposition leader traveled to China to meet Taiwanese businessmen, despite being asked by Taipei to cancel the trip. .
Andrew Hsia, deputy chairman of the pro-Beijing Kuomintang party, made the visit in his personal capacity and was not in the capital. But Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen slammed him for crossing the Taiwan Strait at a time when China was maneuvering around the island.
Since the 1990s, the island has grown from an autocracy to a vibrant democracy, and a distinctive Taiwanese identity has emerged.
Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since 2016, when current President Tsai Ing-wen came to power. Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party do not consider Taiwan to be part of China.
His platform fits the definition of what China calls Taiwanese separatism, which also includes those who want the island to have an identity separate from the mainland.
The Chinese white paper promises Taiwan economic prosperity as well as “more security and dignity” after “reunification.”
*With information from EFE and AFP
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