Chinese military simulates strikes on Taiwan during more drills

China’s military launched a precision strike against Taiwan on the second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the island’s Defense Ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and monitoring Chinese missile forces.

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

Chinese state television reported that combat readiness patrols and exercises around Taiwan continued.

“Under the joint command of the theater joint operations command center, various types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on the island of Taiwan and the surrounding sea area, and continued to maintain an offensive posture throughout the island,” he said.

‘Foreign military targets’

A source familiar with the security situation in the region told Reuters that China had conducted simulated air and sea strikes against “foreign military targets” in Taiwan’s southwestern coastal waters.

“Taiwan is not the only target,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “It’s very provocative.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that as of 4 a.m. ET on Sunday, it had spotted 70 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighter jets and H-6 bombers, as well as 11 ships, around Taiwan.

The ministry said it was paying special attention to the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which is responsible for China’s land-based missile systems.

“Regarding the movements of China’s communist Rocket Forces, the country’s military also has a close understanding through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and the air defense force remains alert,” the ministry said.

He said Taiwan’s forces “will not escalate conflicts or cause disputes” and would respond “appropriately” to China’s exercises.

Military ships in the reported standoff

Security sources said about 20 military ships, half from Taiwan and half from China, were involved in the standoff near the center line of the Taiwan Strait, which has been an unofficial barrier between the two sides for years, but did not act provocatively.

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now more than 400 nautical miles off Taiwan’s southeast coast and conducting exercises, sources said.

Zhao Xiaozhuo of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences told China’s state-backed Global Times newspaper it was the first time China had publicly spoken about a simulated attack on a target in Taiwan.

The main targets include infrastructure such as runways, military logistics facilities and mobile targets “to destroy quickly if necessary,” the report said Zhao.

The US is monitoring the exercise

While in Los Angeles last week, on what was officially billed as transit on his return from Central America, Tsai met with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, despite warnings from Beijing against it.

The de facto US embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday the United States is closely monitoring China’s exercises around Taiwan and is “comfortable and confident” it has sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability.

US communication channels with China remain open and the United States continues to urge restraint and no change to the status quo, said a spokesman for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as its embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

Washington cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979 but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

China, which has never refused to use force to bring the island under its control, says that Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in relations with the United States, and that the topic is a frequent source of tension.

Beijing views Tsai as a separatist and has rejected repeated calls for talks. Tsai said only Taiwanese can determine the future.

Chinese jets, warships

China has for the past three years increased military pressure on Taiwan, flying regular missions around Taiwan, though not in its airspace or on the island.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that in the previous 24 hours it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine naval vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan.

The ministry published a map showing about half of the aircraft, including the Su-30 and J-11, crossed the center line of the strait.

Chinese state media said the plane was armed with live weapons. Taiwan’s air force jets also typically carry live weapons as they struggle to fend off Chinese attacks.