77 Chinese aircraft and more than a dozen ships participated; Photo: File
Beijing: Chinese military aircraft ‘sealed off’ Taiwan from all sides and carried out live-fire drills, escalating tensions on the border.
According to the World News Agency, Air Force planes under the Eastern Theater Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flew and circled around Taiwan.
China’s state media broadcast live military drills of military aircraft encircling Taiwan. The Shandong aircraft carrier was also involved in these military exercises.
A statement released by China’s Eastern Theater Command said that more than 70 warplanes and 11 ships armed with ammunition hit key targets in Taiwan. This exercise will continue for 3 days.
Taiwan’s military has said that 35 Chinese planes violated its airspace. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are fully prepared to respond to any aggression.
Japan has also alleged that Chinese aircraft made 120 landings very close to its border, of which 80 landings were made by fighter jets and 40 by helicopters.
South Korea termed the war drills as a threat to the peace of the region and said that these drills are China’s way of showing its anger over the visit of the President of Taiwan to the US.
Meanwhile, the United States has expressed concern over military exercises near Taiwan and demanded restraint.
The US State Department statement said that China should not use the visit of the president to Taiwan as an expression of its aggression and should not turn it into something that is not based on reality.
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