#taiwan live fire exercises

[milkboydotnet]

A collection of activists and researchers from Filipino and Filipino-American organizations released the findings of a peace mission that concluded last month. The Philippines hosts the United States military in nine joint military facilities across the country through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The groups claim that the American forces are both violating the terms of their stay and operating without transparency to local communities and even to Philippine authorities.

After a three-week fact-finding mission, the Peace Mission International Delegation finds that “the heightening of US militarism and ramping up of EDCA sites is a threat to Philippine independence and sovereignty and the dignity and safety of Filipino communities,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) USA. Meanwhile, Renato Reyes Jr, of BAYAN Philippines explained that the “increased deployment of American weapons and soldiers to the Philippines is meant to provoke a heightened military confrontation with China.”

Secret War

The mission went to two EDCA sites and to one province where American military operations had recently taken place.

In Basa Air Base of Pampanga province, even the Philippine military was barred from certain perimeters.

Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan province is one EDCA site and researchers found that even the provincial government was only made aware of its use by foreigners when it was announced in the news.

None of the locals know what kind of armaments are now stored at the site. Moreover, US personnel are tapping the wider community to store military items and supplies. The mission pointed out that it goes beyond the bounds of EDCA as it does not fall under any of the “Agreed Locations.”

Last month, the Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines concluded. The war games drew in over 16,000 soldiers and for the first time made armed excursions outside Philippine territories, around a hundred kilometers from Taiwan.

The town of Santa Ana in Cagayan, northeast of the Philippines is just 400 kilometers from Taiwan.

The mission alleges that the residents of Santa Ana, were kept in the dark about using their town as a site for military exercises throughout Balikatan.

The mission also documented US marines visiting local high schools in civic-military operations. Additionally “We documented reports of locals saying that the loud noise from US military jets scares them and their children. Not only did this directly disturb the fish supply that these people survive on, but it is aimed at normalizing foreign military occupation in their country,” said *Alex of the mission, using a pseudonym for security.

Not unlike in Cagayan, residents of Ilocos Norte province to the northwest of the country, only learned of Balikatan coming to their neighborhoods through news on Facebook. Live fire drills were carried out and some allege that explosions were heard just 30 kilometers from their homes.

The mission also criticized the five-day “no sail policy” enforced by the military, dealing a large blow to the livelihood of local fisherfolk.

Around 1,000 fishing families were affected by the fishing ban, with estimated losses at Php10,000 per family, a staggering amount that will take them months to recover from. Local government allotted aid worth Php1500 to just over a hundred families.

“The people of Ilocos deserve much more than to be treated as pawns in a US war game,” said *Glaiza of the group Gabriela.

Invitation for war

Balikatan is just one of over 500 planned exercises slated for this year alone. It comes alongside moves in Washington to significantly boost military aid to the Philippines to contain China and pursue its strategic interests in the Pacific region.

Last April, at the Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., both countries held talks to expand the number of EDCA sites, investing US$128 million for infrastructure around these areas and stockpiling a greater volume of supplies.

This year, Marcos announced intentions to upgrade the country’s defense with a US$35 billion boost over the next 10 years.

His plans dovetail with a proposal in the US Senate dubbed the Philippine Enhanced Resilience Act, or PERA bill, which would allot US$2.5 billion over the next five years to Philippine military advancement.

Reyes criticized Marcos Jr’s inclination to plunge the Philippines into war at the behest of America. On June 12, Philippine Independence Day, Filipinos rallied at the US Embassy in Manila against using the country as a stooge in their agenda.

On the same day, Marcos delivered a speech with much bravado saying “We see it in the tenacity of our soldiers as they protect every inch of our territory, adamant as they are in the certainty that Filipinos do not, and shall never, succumb to oppression.”

However, after seeing how the American interests with the complicity of the Marcos regime is fuelling the escalation of the conflict with China, the mission asks “is the Philippines truly free? And what of the Filipino people who are sure to be caught in the crossfire if war were to break out?”

[gaybd1]

Taiwan FAQ Part 3: Things That Must Be Understood by the International Community About Taiwan

[Image source: AFP]

[Image ID: Taiwan's flag waving in the wind. The flag is mostly red with a blue rectangle in the upper left-hand corner. There is a white sun in the blue rectangle. This flag waves backwards so that the rectangle and sun are on the upper right side of the flag. In the distance behind the flag on the right side, Taipei 101, an iconic building in Taipei, is visible. /. End ID]

Is Taiwan a part of China? / Does China control Taiwan?

Taiwan has its own government and even its own currency, having nothing in common with China in that regard. The Chinese government (PRC) has no direct control over Taiwan (ROC), and the PRC has never controlled the Republic of China. In recent history, Japan controlled the island of Taiwan from 1895-1945. The ROC government took control from there and relocated to Taiwan in 1949, where it has had control ever since then.

Is Taiwan recognized internationally?

Taiwan currently has 12 diplomatic allies (Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Eswatini, Holy See, Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines) and has lost several others in recent years. Many countries, like the United States and Canada, have informal relations with Taiwan only. For example, instead of embassies located in Taiwan, they have "trade offices" which perform essentially the same functions for their citizens as embassies would.

The ROC was expelled from the UN, where they were replaced with the PRC, in 1971 and since then most countries have essentially had to choose between recognizing the PRC and the ROC. The PRC requires that countries that want to have a relationship with them must first renounce the ROC.

What has China been doing militarily in recent years?

Since 2020, China has been sending aircraft, sometimes ships, and occasional balloons, into Taiwan's ADIZ. This has been happening practically daily and sometimes they send 30-60 planes a day. It is important to note that every time foreign planes enters Taiwan's ADIZ without permission, the air force is required to send planes to investigate/intercept. This is exhausting to pilots and costs the Taiwanese military a lot of money.

In the summer of 2022 there were several days of "military exercises" in which the PLA (China's military) essentially surrounded Taiwan to conduct naval live fire drills. This was clearly meant to intimidate, and some of these drills occurred within Taiwan's territorial waters.

Similar exercises occurred again in April 2023 and this week in May 2024. These operations always are done in reaction to political events in Taiwan: Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen's visit to the United States in 2023, and the inauguration of Taiwan's new president, Lai Ching-te, in 2024. This week's exercises were framed by China as "punishment."

International news media and the PRC claim that these latest military actions were provoked by "talk of independence" in President Lai's inaugural address, but actually the most provocative thing he did was call Taiwan "Taiwan" as opposed to the "Republic of China" as his predecessor had done. He didn't say anything else that hasn't been said before.

What do the people in Taiwan think of these military actions?

It is vital to note that the Taiwanese people are not really bothered by any of this. While most adults in Taiwan are aware of these activities, there is definitely not an atmosphere of fear surrounding them. In fact, they rarely come up in conversation. It is really just business as usual around Taiwan. The strongest reactions seem to come from international news outlets, who seem way more concerned about war breaking out than people who actually live in Taiwan.

Further Reading:

Taiwan FAQ

Political Status of Taiwan on Wikipedia

Acronyms explained (PRC/ROC)

[nathanxcha]

hello taiwan // #1

Whenever I tell people that my Mandarin practice thus far has not yielded the most fruits they often joke "ah, so such things as nǐhǎo and xièxiė is probably it" which makes me feel a bit silly. 

Our new home town’s name is constructed of both water and fire symbols, which I find quite poetic. The humble abode which we have settled in being the epitome of a dream apartment, views over the nearby mountains, sun gently creeping over the roofs below in the morning and all such features. There’s raised wooden floors, sliding doors and - upon arrival - lots of dust. I dedicated about 2 days to cleaning (househusband duties), and quite enjoyed the exercise. We have separate rooms for sleeping, working, dining and leisure, as well as a little outdoor space for doing the washing (which, I have to say, is quite an upgrade from our hometown one bed/room apartment and communal washing space lifestyle). 

Keeping track of the first few days is hard. It’s been a blur of miscommunications and reeling from the effects on our days on this. I’d spent a long time in preparation of coming here and having a lot of things not work out in a short span of time on top of the jetlag really managed to take it out of me.

Alas, we had a really kind friend help us receive our keys, dragging our heavy suitcases up the hill and get some necessities on the first day. After recovering from the deepest nap of my life, we took the bus and went shopping for cleaning goods, instant noodles, laundry detergent and bed sheets. You can’t drink the tap water here so we stocked up on water filters for the next months. The supermarket was bright and huge and our European habits made us scout for eco cleaning products.

On the flight over I watched a coming-of-age movie called ‘Turtles all the Way Down’ about a young girl living with grief, OCD and anxiety. It deeply touched me. I’d been thinking a lot about it the first few days when nothing seemed to work out and I grappled intensely with the need to get things under control. But needing to be perfect and manage is not the healthiest trait to cultivate. The dust had to go though.

I often think of people’s kindness and my own inadequacy.

[kneedeepincynade]

The west sows war everywhere, but this time it will reap defeat, observe the weak points of the Taiwan regime and how the pla can crush it!

The post is machine translated

Translation is at the bottom

The collective is on telegram

⚠️ L'IMPORTANZA DELLA CATTURA DELLE ISOLE PERIFERICHE DEL REGIME-FANTOCCIO DI TSAI ING-WEN NELL'AMBITO DI UN'OPERAZIONE MILITARE DELL'ESERCITO POPOLARE DI LIBERAZIONE NELLO STRETTO DI TAIWAN ⚠️

🇨🇳 Nell'ambito di un'ipotetica Operazione Militare dell'Esercito Popolare di Liberazione nello Stretto di Taiwan, un tema fondamentale, che merita d'esser discusso, riguarda la cattura delle isole periferiche del regime-fantoccio ⚔️

🤔 Può essere che qualcuno non lo sappia, ma il regime-fantoccio di Taiwan non è costituito da una sola isola, ma anche da:

🏝 Arcipelago di Kinmen | Un funzionario statunitense, mesi fa, disse che le Isole Kinmen e le Isole Matsu sarebbero particolarmente difficili da difendere contro un possibile attacco dell'Esercito Cinese, a causa della loro posizione geografica - Fonte 📄

🏝 Isole Pratas | Si tratta di tre piccole isole, disabitate, perlopiù visitate da scienziati, naturalisti e biologi marini che vogliono studiare la flora e la fauna locali - Fonte 📄

🏝 Isola di Taiping | Citando Ni Yongjie, Vice-Capo dell'Istituto di Studi su Taiwan di Shanghai: "L'Esercito Popolare di Liberazione potrebbe simulare un'esercitazione militare a fuoco vivo sull'Isola di Taiping, controllata dal regime-fantoccio di Taiwan" 🤔

🏝 Isole Matsu | Vale il discorso per l'Arcipelago di Kinmen 🐰

🏝 Isole Wuqiu | Vale il discorso per l'Arcipelago di Kinmen e delle Isole Matsu 🐰

🏝 Isole Penghu | Il 15/08/2022, l'EPL inviò dei Caccia di Superiorità Aerea J-11 e un Aereo da Sorveglianza KJ-500 nell'area delle Isole Penghu 🔥

🇺🇸 Gli USA, invece, approfittando dell'espansione della Cooperazione Militare con le Filippine e il Giappone, potrebbero schierare le loro truppe presso:

🏝 Isola Itbayat [Filippine] - 160KM a Sud-Est del regime-fantoccio di Taiwan 🇹🇼

🏝 Yonaguni [Giappone] - 110KM a Nord-Est del regime-fantoccio di Taiwan 🇹🇼

🔍 Per chi volesse approfondire, può rifarsi al Master-Post Militare del Collettivo Shaoshan 🌺

🪖 Immagini prese da China Army.

🌸 Iscriviti 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

⚠️ THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CAPTURE OF THE OUTLYING ISLANDS OF THE PUPPET REGIME OF TSAI ING-WEN IN THE CONTEXT OF A MILITARY OPERATION OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY IN THE STRAITS OF TAIWAN ⚠️

🇨🇳 In the context of a hypothetical Military Operation of the People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait, a fundamental issue, which deserves to be discussed, concerns the capture of the outlying islands of the puppet regime ⚔️

🤔 It may be that some don't know it, but the Taiwan puppet regime is not made up of just one island, but also of:

🏝 Kinmen Archipelago | A US official said months ago that the Kinmen Islands and Matsu Islands would be particularly difficult to defend against a possible attack by the Chinese Army, due to their geographical location - Source 📄

🏝 Pratas Islands | These are three small, uninhabited islands, mostly visited by scientists, naturalists and marine biologists who want to study the local flora and fauna - Source 📄

🏝 Taiping Island | Quoting Ni Yongjie, Deputy Head of the Taiwan Studies Institute in Shanghai: "The People's Liberation Army could simulate a live-fire military exercise on Taiping Island, controlled by Taiwan's puppet regime" 🤔

🏝 Matsu Islands | The speech is valid for the Kinmen Archipelago 🐰

🏝 Wuqiu Islands | The speech is valid for the Kinmen Archipelago and the Matsu Islands 🐰

🏝 Penghu Islands | On 15/08/2022, PLA sent J-11 Air Superiority Fighters and KJ-500 Surveillance Aircraft to Penghu Islands area 🔥

🇺🇸 The USA, on the other hand, taking advantage of the expansion of Military Cooperation with the Philippines and Japan, could deploy its troops at:

🏝 Itbayat Island [Philippines] - 160KM SE of Taiwan puppet regime 🇹🇼

🏝 Yonaguni [Japan] - 110KM NE of Taiwan puppet regime 🇹🇼

🔍 For those who want to learn more, they can refer to the Military Master-Post of the Shaoshan Collective 🌺

🪖 Images taken by China Army.

🌸 Subscribe 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

[freehawaii]

IN MEMORY OF EMMETT ALULI, SHUT DOWN RED HILL

Counterpunch.org - December 15, 2022 - By Seiji Yamada

In November 2021, 20,000 gallons of jet fuel spewed from the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility into the drinking water well serving 93,000 mostly military personnel and their dependents on Oʻahu. Initially claiming that all the fuel had been recovered, the Navy defied the State of Hawaiʻi’s order to stop utilizing the facility for months. Hundreds of families were sickened, and those served by the Navy well had to live in hotels.

The Red Hill Facility consists of 20 underground tanks constructed in the 1940s, each of the 20 tanks holds 12.5 million gallons of fuel. Over a hundred million gallons of fuel remains in the tanks, located only 100 feet above the aquifer that supplies all of urban Honolulu. Having previously claimed before that the system was sound, the Navy now says that it could take one or two years to repair the pipelines in order to drain the tanks safely.

Most recently, on November 29, 2022, 1,300 gallons of fire-fighting aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were spilled at the Red Hill Facility. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS are known carcinogens and can cause decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, hormonal dysfunction, obesity, and immunosuppression. The strength of the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS resist breakdown, even by incineration. They are “forever chemicals,” persistent in water and biologically concentrated in foods such as fish.

They are toxic in concentrations measured in parts per quadrillion (a million billion). One teaspoon can destroy the water supply of a city. In Hawaiʻi only the U.S. military utilizes AFFF containing PFAS. Civilian firefighters in Hawaiʻi do not use it.

The revelation of the most recent spill prompted community organizations, including Oʻahu Water Protectors, the Hawaiʻi People’s Fund, the Hawaiʻi Youth Climate Coalition, Queen’s Court, and the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, to organize a “Walk for Wai”  (wai = water) rally and march on December 10, 2022. What follows are my remarks at the rally.

Remarks for Walk for Wai

Today I am speaking on behalf of the Hawaii Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines or HiCHRP. I would like to reflect on the passing just last month of Dr. “Kauka” Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli. Dr. Aluli taught us that the health of the people depends on the health of the ‘āina. Dr. Aluli found it intolerable that the U.S. Navy used the island of Kahoʻolawe for target practice, making it unsuitable for human habitation, and finally cracking its water table. In 1976, as one of the Kahoʻolawe Nine, he risked arrest, his medical career, and his life by occupying and re-claiming Kahoʻolawe. It took another 14 years before the U.S. Navy finally stopped bombing Kahoʻolawe, but the bold action of the Kahoʻolawe Nine was the beginning of the struggle.

Even today, we see how the U.S. military utterly disregards the health of the people and the health of the ‘āina by their occupation of Red Hill. Global domination by the U.S. military is the overarching goal. If the land is poisoned or the people are poisoned along the way, so what? Sacrifices have to be made, and Hawaiʻi is a sacrifice zone. The role that the U.S. military assigns to Hawaiʻi is to be the command and control center for the coming war with China. As Kyle Kajihiro teaches us, Oʻahu is the head of the heʻe or the octopus. Therefore the placement of the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaiʻi. Therefore the RIMPAC Naval Exercises, in the waters around Hawaiʻi. Since World War II, the Red Hill tanks have been used to store fuel for military ships and aircraft across the Pacific.

In order to contain China, the U.S. military seeks allies in nations surrounding China. Among them is the Philippines – which together with Taiwan, South Korea, Okinawa, Japan, and Guam – will play a crucial role as a staging area from where the U.S. will launch offensives. In November, Kamala Harris was in the Philippines to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Philippine militaries and between the U.S. and Philippine governments. Her visit gives legitimacy to Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., the son of the dictator who imposed martial law on the Philippines in 1972 and who oversaw the use of US bases in Clark and Subic Bay as staging areas during the Vietnam War.

In the Philippines, the Marcos government continues to red-tag activists, and perpetrate extra-judicial killings. Today, on international Human Rights Day, we must recognize that the human rights situation has not improved since Marcos took over from Duterte. This, too, is the price that the people pay for global domination by the U.S. military.

Dr. Emmett Aluli said, “We commit for generations, not just for careers. We set things up now so that they’ll be carried on.” It is up to us to carry on the commitment that Dr. Aluli showed by occupying Kahoʻolawe. We must not stop until we get the U.S. military out of the Philippines and out of the ‘āina.

Water is a human right!

Health is a human right!

[nationnow]

WW3 fears as huge Chinese armada sails past Taiwan with 'very simple' message

World War 3 fears have erupted after Taiwan detected 12 Chinese naval ships and 47 military aircraft near the island in a huge military drill.  Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that it has detected the armada in the past 24 hours but no live-fire activity as in previous military exercises. The deployment covers a wider area this time than in previous drills , with additional ships going…

[beardedmrbean]

Japan and the European Union announced a sweeping new security and defence partnership in Tokyo on Friday, which EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hailed as a historic and "very timely" step.

Borrell and his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya unveiled the pact to develop cooperation on joint military drills, the exchange of information related to the defence industry, and space security among other matters.

"I am extremely pleased to be here with Minister Iwaya to announce the conclusion of this security and defence partnership between the European Union and Japan," Borrell said.

He called it the "the first agreement of this nature" the EU has made with an Asia-Pacific country, describing it as "historical and very timely".

"We live in a very dangerous world" and "given the situation in both of our regions, this political framework deepens our ability to tackle emerging threats together", Borrell told reporters.

He did not mention China, but Japan has previously called its neighbour its greatest security challenge as Beijing builds up military capacity in the region.

After the Tokyo talks, Borrell heads to South Korea, where concerns about North Korea will top the agenda. 

The United States has said thousands of North Korean troops are in Russia readying to fight in Ukraine.

Pyongyang also test-fired one of its newest and most powerful missiles on Thursday, demonstrating its threat to the US mainland days ahead of elections.

Defence industries    

The text of the EU-Japan Security and Defence Partnership, seen by AFP, said they would promote "concrete naval cooperation" including through activities such as joint exercises and port calls, which could also include "mutually designated third countries".

It also said the EU and Japan would discuss "the development of respective defence initiatives including exchange of information on defence industry-related matters".

Japan, which for decades has relied on the United States for military hardware, is also developing a new fighter jet with EU member Italy and Britain set to be airborne by 2035.

The agreement on industrial cooperation could "turbo-charge collaboration, such that joint defence projects between Japanese and European firms funded through EU mechanisms may be on the cards", analyst Yee Kuang Heng of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy told AFP.

Japan is ramping up defence spending to the NATO standard of two percent of GDP by 2027, partly to counter China, which is increasing military pressure on Taiwan.

Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who could head a minority government after a disastrous general election last week, has said that "today's Ukraine could be tomorrow's East Asia".

Ishiba has also called for the creation of a NATO-like regional alliance with its tenet of collective security, although he has conceded this will "not happen overnight".

The same warning was issued by Ishiba's predecessor Fumio Kishida, who was hosted by US President Joe Biden for a state visit in April at which the allies announced plans to boost their defence partnership.

On Friday, Borrell and Iwaya also "exchanged an instrument of ratification for Japan EU Strategic Partnership Agreement, or SPA", Iwaya said, referring to a separate, previously agreed pact.

"This SPA will formally enter into force on January 1 next year. It will be a legal foundation to strengthen the Japan-EU strategic partnership into the future," Iwaya said.

[andronetalks]

China Holds New Live Fire Drills Near Taiwan, 2 Days After US Warship Passed Through Strait

Zero Hedge BY TYLER DURDENWEDNESDAY, OCT 23, 2024 – 05:45 AM One week after China’s military launched massive encircling drills around Taiwan, widely dubbed in international press reports as ‘record-setting’, another round of smaller drills has kicked off Tuesday. These new drills by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are ‘live fire’ exercises and are taking place in the disputed Taiwan Strait.…

[head-post]

China holds live-fire drills opposite Taiwan

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began training manoeuvres using combat equipment near Taiwan on Tuesday. The drills are taking place in the coastal area of Fujian Province, in the waters of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s defence ministry has been paying close attention to these naval manoeuvres, viewing them as part of regular Chinese military exercises. However, the ministry admitted that these Chinese actions may be aimed at increasing pressure through the development of tactics in the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing announced on Monday that the area around Niushan, an island 105 kilometres (66 miles) off Taiwan, would be closed for exercises for four hours from 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday that China should not conduct such exercises given their threat to regional stability.

Taiwan’s premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday the exercise disturbs peace and stability in the region and called it a “meaningless demonstration.” He emphasised that Taiwan’s armed forces are ready to defend state sovereignty and the safety of citizens. He also added:

Regardless of the scale of the exercise, it should not be conducted frequently and close to Taiwan. It will only cause unnecessary tensions.

While Taipei has described the drills as routine, analysts believe China is likely sending a message given their proximity to Taiwan.

Tension is heating up

The drills are also part of a broader campaign in which Chinese ships and aircraft regularly cross Taiwan’s territory and airspace, a grey zone warfare tactic designed to normalise incursions and weaken Taiwan over an extended period of time.

As Chinese exercises have intensified, so have the manoeuvres of Taiwan’s allies, mainly the US.

Last Monday, Beijing sent a record 153 warplanes as well as warships and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan in an exercise designed to simulate an attack from land, sea and air.

This followed Taiwanese President William Lai’s National Day speech on October 10, in which he pledged to “resist annexation or encroachment on Taiwan’s sovereignty.”

Read more HERE

[todayworldnews2k21]

China holds live-fire drills on island closest to Taiwan

China held a live-firing exercise from its territory closest to Taiwan one week after it launched a large-scale drill encircling the island. Chinese military drills off the Taiwanese coast have intensified in recent years as its claims over the self-governed island have grown. Beijing announced late on Monday that an area around Niushan – an island 105km (66 miles) from Taiwan – will be closed…

[littlejoe59]

China plans live-fire drills in Taiwan Strait after US and Canadian warships transit

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] The Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command said the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills were taking place in the Taiwan Strait. ( Source: File Photo)4 min read Last Updated : Oct 14 2024 | 8:21 AM IST China's military started a new round of war games near Taiwan on Monday, saying it was a warning to the "separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces", and offered no date for when they may conclude, drawing condemnation from Taipei's government. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, had been on alert for more war games since last week's national day speech by President Lai Ching-te, an address Beijing condemned after Lai said China had no right to represent Taiwan even as he offered to cooperate with Beijing. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command said the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills were taking place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.  "The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity," it said in a statement carried both in Chinese and English. The command published a map showing nine areas around Taiwan where the drills were taking place - two on the island's east coast, three on the west coast, one to the north and three around Taiwan-controlled islands next to the Chinese coast. Chinese ships and aircraft are approaching Taiwan in "close proximity from different directions", focusing on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, blockading key ports and areas, assaulting maritime and ground targets and "joint seizure of comprehensive superiority", the command said. However, it did not announce any live-fire exercises or any no fly areas. In 2022, shortly after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China fired missiles over the island. Taiwan's China policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that China's latest war games and refusal to renounce the use of force were "blatant provocations" that seriously undermined regional peace and stability. In the face of the further political, military and economic threats posed by China to Taiwan in recent days, Taiwan would not back down, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement. "President Lai has already expressed his goodwill in his national day speech and is willing to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait together with the Chinese communists," it added. Taiwan's defense ministry said it had dispatched its own forces. Lai's national day speech highlighted the current state of cross-strait relations and the firm will to safeguard peace and stability and advocated future cooperation in coping with challenges like climate change, the ministry added. "The Chinese communist's claim of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' is a complete departure from the truth," it added. A senior Taiwan security official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation, said they believed China was practicing blockading Taiwanese ports to the north and south of the island and international shipping lanes as well as repelling the arrival of foreign forces. Taiwan on Sunday had reported a Chinese aircraft carrier group sailing to the island's south through the strategic Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and connects the South China Sea to the Pacific. Chinese state media has since Thursday run a series of stories and commentaries denouncing Lai's speech, and on Sunday the Eastern Theatre Command released a video saying it was "prepared for battle". The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the war games. The US last week said China had no justification for using Lai's national day speech as a pretext for military pressure. China held the "Joint Sword-2024A"

drills for two days around Taiwan in May shortly after Lai took office, saying they were "punishment" for separatist content in his inauguration speech. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)First Published: Oct 14 2024 | 8:21 AM IST [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] The Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command said the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills were taking place in the Taiwan Strait. ( Source: File Photo)4 min read Last Updated : Oct 14 2024 | 8:21 AM IST China's military started a new round of war games near Taiwan on Monday, saying it was a warning to the "separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces", and offered no date for when they may conclude, drawing condemnation from Taipei's government. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, had been on alert for more war games since last week's national day speech by President Lai Ching-te, an address Beijing condemned after Lai said China had no right to represent Taiwan even as he offered to cooperate with Beijing. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command said the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills were taking place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.  "The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity," it said in a statement carried both in Chinese and English. The command published a map showing nine areas around Taiwan where the drills were taking place - two on the island's east coast, three on the west coast, one to the north and three around Taiwan-controlled islands next to the Chinese coast. Chinese ships and aircraft are approaching Taiwan in "close proximity from different directions", focusing on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, blockading key ports and areas, assaulting maritime and ground targets and "joint seizure of comprehensive superiority", the command said. However, it did not announce any live-fire exercises or any no fly areas. In 2022, shortly after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China fired missiles over the island. Taiwan's China policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that China's latest war games and refusal to renounce the use of force were "blatant provocations" that seriously undermined regional peace and stability. In the face of the further political, military and economic threats posed by China to Taiwan in recent days, Taiwan would not back down, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement. "President Lai has already expressed his goodwill in his national day speech and is willing to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait together with the Chinese communists," it added. Taiwan's defense ministry said it had dispatched its own forces. Lai's national day speech highlighted the current state of cross-strait relations and the firm will to safeguard peace and stability and advocated future cooperation in coping with challenges like climate change, the ministry added. "The Chinese communist's claim of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' is a complete departure from the truth," it added. A senior Taiwan security official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation, said they believed China was practicing blockading Taiwanese ports to the north and south of the island and international shipping lanes as well as repelling the arrival of foreign forces. Taiwan on Sunday had reported a Chinese aircraft carrier group sailing to the island's south through the strategic Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and connects the South China Sea to the Pacific. Chinese state media has since Thursday run a series of stories and commentaries denouncing Lai's speech, and on Sunday the Eastern Theatre Command released a video saying it was "prepared for battle". The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the war games. The US last week said China had no justification for using Lai's national day speech as a pretext for military pressure. China held the "Joint Sword-2024A"

drills for two days around Taiwan in May shortly after Lai took office, saying they were "punishment" for separatist content in his inauguration speech. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)First Published: Oct 14 2024 | 8:21 AM IST [ad_2] Source link

[usa-journal]

Japanese Warship Strays Into China's Territorial Sea During Military Exercise

A Japanese navy warship entered China's territorial sea near Taiwan last week while monitoring a Chinese military live-fire exercise, Japanese media reported on Thursday.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's 6,800-ton destroyer, Suzutsuki, sailed into Chinese waters on July 4, off the coast of Zhejiang province, according to unnamed diplomatic sources cited by Japanese media. The Suzutsuki is equipped with air defense and anti-ship missiles, a naval main gun, torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets, designed to counter enemy ships, aircraft, and submarines.

Incident Details

Zhejiang province, located east of the contested East China Sea and north of Taiwan, was the scene of the incident. The area is also near the disputed Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, which are claimed by Beijing but controlled by Japan. China frequently deploys military aircraft and ships around Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province.

Japanese media reported that the Suzutsuki was tasked with observing Chinese military drills. The maritime authority in Zhejiang had declared a navigational warning and a danger zone for military exercises in the waters off the province from July 3-5.

When the Japanese warship approached within 12 nautical miles of Zhejiang's coast, Chinese forces warned it to leave. Instead, the Suzutsuki increased speed and entered Chinese territorial waters, a rare and provocative move. The warship remained in Chinese waters for about 20 minutes before exiting.

Diplomatic Fallout

China expressed serious concern to Japan over the incident, prompting the Japanese Defense Ministry to launch an investigation into the actions of the Suzutsuki's captain. During a regular press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed that Beijing had protested to Tokyo, labeling the Japanese warship's actions as "illegal and improper." Japan explained the incident as a "technical error," Lin said.

Japanese sources suggested the incident might have been a procedural error, while China's Kyodo News indicated that Beijing suspected a deliberate provocation by Japan.

In Tokyo, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to provide details on the incident, refraining from commenting on Japanese military operations.

Legal Context

According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, all ships have the right to transit the territorial waters of another state without undermining the security of the coastal state. The Japanese government insisted that the Suzutsuki was exercising the right of innocent passage in Chinese territorial waters.

However, China argued that the Japanese warship did not comply with its domestic law, which requires foreign vessels to obtain permission before entering territorial waters.

International Implications

The United States, Japan's security treaty ally, has similarly sent warships into waters around China, including the South China Sea, exercising the right of innocent passage without prior notification or permission from Beijing. The Chinese military has accused the U.S. of seriously violating China's sovereignty and security, leading to the expulsion of American warships from its territorial sea.

The incident with the Suzutsuki adds to the ongoing tensions in the region, highlighting the complex dynamics between China, Japan, and their allies. As investigations continue, both nations remain on alert, with diplomatic efforts underway to address and de-escalate the situation.