An announcement from the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said that starting Tuesday night, a series of exercises will be held in the sea and air surrounding Taiwan, the self-governing island that China says it is its sovereign territory.
“This action is a solemn deterrent against the recent major escalation of negative actions by the United States on the Taiwan issue, and a serious warning to ‘Taiwan independence’ forces seeking ‘independence,'” Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement.
The Eastern Theater is one of five joint commands of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with jurisdiction over China’s eastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, which lie in front of and above Taiwan.
China’s Ministry of Defense said the PLA was “on high alert and will launch a series of targeted military operations to counter the situation, resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely thwart interference by external forces and secessionist “Taiwan independence” schemes.
In an unusual move, Chinese state media tweeted a map showing six areas around Taiwan where it said the PLA would hold drills, including live-fire exercises from Thursday to Sunday.
The announcements came after a US Air Force plane carrying Pelosi landed in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, marking the first time a US House speaker has visited Taiwan in 25 years.
China did not specify what the exercises would entail or which units would be involved.
The PLA has been active with exercises around the region in the days leading up to Pelosi’s visit. He usually exercises at this time of year to commemorate Army Day, the founding of the PLA.
Pelosi and her accompanying congressional delegation said in a statement that the visit “honors America’s unwavering commitment to support Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”
“Our discussions with Taiwan’s leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and promoting our shared interests, including the advancement of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
The House spokeswoman wrote an op-ed published in The Washington Post after she landed, arguing that her trip demonstrated US commitment to Taiwan under threat from China. “In the face of accelerating aggression by the Chinese Communist Party, our delegation’s visit to Congress should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and their freedom,” Pelosi wrote.
The United States supplies Taiwan with defensive weaponry under the terms of the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, but remains deliberately vague about whether it would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, a policy known as “strategic ambiguity.”
China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, told CNN’s John King that Beijing was within its sovereign rights to take action on Pelosi’s visit.
“China has every right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are fully justified in doing what we have to do. The current situation is solely created by the US side, so of course it must take responsibility,” Qin said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said 21 Chinese warplanes made incursions into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the day Pelosi arrived.
The raids were carried out by 10 J-16 fighter jets, 8 J-11 fighter jets, a Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft, a Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft and a warning and control aircraft Air KJ-500, Taiwan Defense. The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday night.
In response, the Taiwanese military issued radio warnings and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activities, he added.
China frequently sends warplanes into Taiwan’s self-declared ADIZ. The highest number of raids ever recorded was on October 4 last year, when 56 military aircraft flew into the area on the same day.
An ADIZ is unilaterally imposed and is distinct from sovereign airspace, which is defined under international law as extending 12 nautical miles from a territory’s coast.