China holds second day of military exercises near Taiwan post Tsai's return

China held a second day of military drills around Taiwan, with multiple exercises involving aircraft and ships, after the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, returned from a visit to the US.
 

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that on Sunday it detected 70 aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army and 11 warships near Taiwan as of 4 pm, with 35 of the warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering the southwestern part of the island’s air-defense identification zone.

Warships and warplanes passed over the median line in groups from the north, center and south of the strait, according to the statement. Taiwan’s military spotted J-15s, the Chinese navy’s carrier-based fighter jets, among the aircraft.

The PLA said Saturday it will hold drills and patrols in airspace and waters on the north, south and east sides of Taiwan from April 8 to 10. Eastern Theater Command spokesman Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement on Saturday that the drills are a “stern warning against Taiwan separatist forces’ collusion with foreign elements.” He didn’t mention Tsai’s visits to New York and Los Angeles, which included meetings with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other US lawmakers.

“China’s drills only let the world see it destroys peace,” Taiwan’s vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan told reporters Sunday. “We don’t show weakness. We don’t evade, and we are not afraid. Our policies ensure security of territorial sea. This is our bottom line.”

In a statement late Saturday night, China’s Ministry of Defense said the PLA dispatched several conventional missile brigades, along with some army artillery brigades, under the command of the Eastern Theater. The units conducted simulated strikes on designated targets, according to the statement, with photos and video clips showing launching vehicles moving to positions and missiles being erected.   

Beijing had pledged to respond to any meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, calling it a provocation that “damages China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The latest planned drills appear to be on a smaller scale than exercises held by China after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year, and didn’t include any imposition of exclusive zones in its airspace and waters.

In August, China announced missile tests and military drills near Taiwan less than an hour after Pelosi landed in Taipei. The PLA also imposed six exclusive zones, banning ships and aircraft from entering.