China Launches New Military Drills Along Eastern Coast
REPORTER:
China has announced live-fire drills up and down its coast, sparking some concern here in Taiwan, as the announcement came just a day after President Lai Ching-te's national day address.
REPORTER:
On Saturday, Lai called for the country to stay united in the face of outside threats, and once again stressed the need to keep strengthening its self-defense. That may already be getting tested as provincial authorities across China closed off sea zones on Sunday for new live-fire drills.
REPORTER:
China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to take it, hit back at Lai's speech. State media and government officials blamed Lai for inflaming cross-strait tensions. Beijing says its regular military exercises around Taiwan are aimed at deterring so-called "separatism" and external interference, and that they are safeguarding security. Taiwan's defense ministry says it is closely monitoring the situation.
Wellington Koo (DEFENSE MINISTER):
We have a full grasp of the situation. Preliminary assessments indicate that these live-fire exercises will involve anti-artillery units. Regardless, we will continue to closely monitor developments regarding their activities whether related to live-fire drills or other forms of military training.
REPORTER:
While China regularly sends military aircraft and ships around Taiwan, live-fire exercises are less common. These exercises are not directly bordering Taiwan's waters, but some analysts say they serve as propaganda targeting people in Taiwan.
Su Tzu-yun (DEFENSE ANALYST, INDSR):
Following [Lai's] National Day speech China signaled its determination to safeguard national unity. It began by releasing a video via state media specifically CCTV, to demonstrate this resolve. Immediately afterward, it announced a series of military exercises spanning the Bohai, East China, Taiwan Strait, South China and Yellow Seas. This serves as a political statement.
REPORTER:
While China has ramped up its rhetoric, The US state department on Sunday praised Lai’s National Day speech for seeking to maintain stability in the region. This comes after several statements by US officials promising that Washington’s ties with Taipei remain unchanged.
REPORTER:
While it's impossible to know whether these drills are directly linked to National Day, China often pairs military activity with major political events in Taiwan. And with the country set to hold local elections in November, the military will be on alert for further exercises in the coming weeks.
Devin Tsai and Lery Hiciano, for TaiwanPlus.
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