Chinese military begins ‘strategic’ exercises around Taiwan – state media

A map showing the locations where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct military exercises and training activities, including live-fire exercises, is seen in newspaper reports of the visit by the Speaker of the House of U.S. Representatives Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan at a newsstand in Beijing, China, on August 3. , 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

BEIJING, Aug 4 (Reuters) – China’s People’s Liberation Army has started military exercises that include live firing in the waters and airspace surrounding the island of Taiwan, state television reported on Thursday chinese

The drills, spread over six locations, are due to end at 12:00 pm (0400 GMT) on Sunday. The drills followed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, a trip condemned by Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its own.

Significantly, to the north, east and south, the exercise areas bisect the 12 nautical miles of territorial waters claimed by Taiwan, which Taiwanese officials say defies international order and amounts to a blockade of its space sea and air Read more

The locations surround the island in an unprecedented formation, Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defense University, told Chinese state television, describing how an actual military operation against Taiwan could unfold.

“In fact, this has created very good conditions for us when, in the future, we reshape our strategic landscape conducive to our unification,” Meng said.

Chinese forces in two areas on Taiwan’s northern coast could seal off Keelung, a major port, while attacks could be launched from an area in eastern Taiwan targeting military bases in Hualien and Taidong, he said.

The “gates” to Kaoshiung could also be closed by the Chinese military on the southwest coast, Meng said.

Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Simon Cameron-Moore

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