China simulates striking Taiwan on second day of drills

GREG BAKER/ AFP

China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the island's defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing.

"Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island," it said.

A Taiwan security source told Reuters that on Saturday the Chinese drills around the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, included simulated attacks on aircraft carrier groups as well as anti-submarine drills.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that as of Sunday midday (0400 GMT) they had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships, around Taiwan.

The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force which is in charge of China's land-based missile system.

"Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists' Rocket Force, the nation's military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defence forces remain on high alert," the ministry said.

It reiterated that Taiwan's forces will "not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes" and would respond "appropriately" to China's drills.

More from International News

  • Joe Biden promises peaceful transfer of power

    US President Joe Biden urged Americans to "bring down the temperature" on Thursday following Republican Donald Trump's election victory and sought to console fellow Democrats who were alarmed by the former president's stunning comeback.

  • Israel strikes on Lebanon kill 40 people around Baalbek

    Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 40 people around the eastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, according to the country's health ministry, while more strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dusk.

  • Iran: US elections opportunity to review "wrong approaches"

    US elections are an opportunity to review the "wrong approaches" of the American government, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Thursday according to state media, after Donald Trump won the presidency on Wednesday.

  • Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts eight times

    Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted eight times on Thursday, spewing a plume of volcanic ash up to 8,000 m (26,250 ft) high, officials said, as the government scrambled to build homes for victims of a bigĀ eruptionĀ that killed nine.

Blogs