China continued its military exercises around Taiwan for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, focusing on the Taiwan Strait, a vital international shipping route that separates the self-governing island of Taiwan from China.
The drills, named Strait Thunder-2025A , were conducted in the central and southern parts of the strait, according to a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), news agency AP reported.
Taiwan’s military is closely monitoring the situation but reported no unusual activity on the island, which has a population of 23 million people. China considers Taiwan its territory, though it has never governed the island.
The Chinese military said the latest exercises aimed to test the troops' capabilities in several areas, including area regulation and control, joint blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets. These drills were also designed to simulate scenarios such as identification, verification, warning, expulsion, interception, and detention, said Shi Yi, a spokesperson for China's Eastern Theatre Command, in a statement posted on the Chinese Defence Ministry's Weibo account.
Taiwan reported that 76 military aircraft and 19 naval or government vessels had entered nearby waters and airspace, with 37 of the aircraft crossing the centre line of the Taiwan Strait. This unofficial border, which is approximately 160 kilometres (110 miles) wide, is not recognized by China. The Chinese Shandong aircraft carrier group also entered Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), a self-designated area monitored by Taiwan's military.
According to Shi, the Shandong aircraft carrier group joined Wednesday's drills alongside naval and air units from the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan. The exercises aimed to assess the forces' ability to secure air superiority and integrate operations both within and outside the island chain, referring to the grouping of islands closest to China, including the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, and southern Japan.
Beijing has been increasingly sending warplanes and naval vessels toward Taiwan, ramping up the scale and frequency of such drills in recent years. Taiwanese officials have warned that China could use military exercises as a cover for a surprise attack.
The US has expressed concern over China’s growing military presence near Taiwan. Any conflict over Taiwan could involve the United States, which has numerous regional alliances, provides Taiwan with advanced weaponry, and is legally obligated to respond to threats against the island.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce criticized China’s actions, saying, “Once again, China’s aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region’s security and the world’s prosperity at risk.”
Bruce reaffirmed the US commitment to its allies, stating, “In the face of China’s intimidation tactics and destabilizing behaviour, the United States’ enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues.”
Taiwan has established a central response group to monitor the ongoing exercises, as confirmed by Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the drills were specifically targeted at Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, who is strongly pro-independence. Polls show that a large majority of Taiwan’s residents reject the idea of Chinese rule and support the current status of Taiwan’s independence.
Taiwan and China have been separate entities since the end of the Chinese Civil War 76 years ago, but tensions have risen significantly since 2016, when China severed almost all official communications with Taiwan.
The drills, named Strait Thunder-2025A , were conducted in the central and southern parts of the strait, according to a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), news agency AP reported.
Taiwan’s military is closely monitoring the situation but reported no unusual activity on the island, which has a population of 23 million people. China considers Taiwan its territory, though it has never governed the island.
The Chinese military said the latest exercises aimed to test the troops' capabilities in several areas, including area regulation and control, joint blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets. These drills were also designed to simulate scenarios such as identification, verification, warning, expulsion, interception, and detention, said Shi Yi, a spokesperson for China's Eastern Theatre Command, in a statement posted on the Chinese Defence Ministry's Weibo account.
Taiwan reported that 76 military aircraft and 19 naval or government vessels had entered nearby waters and airspace, with 37 of the aircraft crossing the centre line of the Taiwan Strait. This unofficial border, which is approximately 160 kilometres (110 miles) wide, is not recognized by China. The Chinese Shandong aircraft carrier group also entered Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), a self-designated area monitored by Taiwan's military.
According to Shi, the Shandong aircraft carrier group joined Wednesday's drills alongside naval and air units from the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan. The exercises aimed to assess the forces' ability to secure air superiority and integrate operations both within and outside the island chain, referring to the grouping of islands closest to China, including the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, and southern Japan.
Beijing has been increasingly sending warplanes and naval vessels toward Taiwan, ramping up the scale and frequency of such drills in recent years. Taiwanese officials have warned that China could use military exercises as a cover for a surprise attack.
The US has expressed concern over China’s growing military presence near Taiwan. Any conflict over Taiwan could involve the United States, which has numerous regional alliances, provides Taiwan with advanced weaponry, and is legally obligated to respond to threats against the island.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce criticized China’s actions, saying, “Once again, China’s aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region’s security and the world’s prosperity at risk.”
Bruce reaffirmed the US commitment to its allies, stating, “In the face of China’s intimidation tactics and destabilizing behaviour, the United States’ enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues.”
Taiwan has established a central response group to monitor the ongoing exercises, as confirmed by Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the drills were specifically targeted at Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, who is strongly pro-independence. Polls show that a large majority of Taiwan’s residents reject the idea of Chinese rule and support the current status of Taiwan’s independence.
Taiwan and China have been separate entities since the end of the Chinese Civil War 76 years ago, but tensions have risen significantly since 2016, when China severed almost all official communications with Taiwan.
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