China launched a three-day military exercise in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, in a “serious warning” to “separatist forces” on the island, the Chinese military has warned.
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Military spokesman Shi Yi said in a statement that the exercises “serve as a solemn warning against the collusion between the separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and outside forces, as well as their provocative activities.”
China sees with dismay the rapprochement in action in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States, which despite having no formal relations has provided the island with military support against Beijing for several decades.
China counts Taiwan, with a population of 23 million, as one of its provinces, which has not yet succeeded in reunifying it with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The Chinese government had promised “firm and energetic measures”, after the meeting on Wednesday between Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The United States recognized the People’s Republic of China in 1979, and should in theory have no formal contact with the Republic of China (Taiwan), under the “one China principle” advocated by Beijing.
Since Thursday, Beijing has been increasing its military pressure on Taiwan by sending warships and aircraft to the strait.
On Saturday, the Chinese army announced a three-day “combat readiness” exercise as well as “police patrol” in the Taiwan Strait.
The exact location of these maneuvers has not been determined.
The narrowest part of the strait between the Chinese coast and Taiwan is about 130 kilometers wide.
Tourists and stormy seas
For several days, China has reinforced the coast guard presence in the strait for extraordinary patrols.
On Saturday morning in Pingtan, the point closest to Taiwan in southeastern China, tourists watched the choppy waters of the sea, but there was no noticeable military activity.
AFP journalists at the scene on Friday saw a military ship and at least two military helicopters passing through the Taiwan Strait.
However, it was not clear if these moves represented an increase in the usual number of Chinese patrols in the area.
In August, Beijing launched unprecedented military exercises around Taiwan when Democrat Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy’s perching preeminent, visited the island.
The response at this point to the meeting with the American number three has nothing compared to the summer of 2022. It does, however, put Taipei on high alert.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday, during its daily update at the beginning of the day, that it had spotted 13 aircraft and three Chinese warships around the island.
