China announced on Monday the conclusion of a three-day series of military exercises around Taiwan, stating that the drills tested integrated military capabilities under actual combat conditions. The Chinese forces practiced precision strikes and blockading the island, which Beijing views as part of its territory.
The drills were announced on Saturday, following a meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. China has never ruled out the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control. Taiwan's government, however, strongly contests China's claims and has criticized the drills.
The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command reported that the exercises were "successfully completed" and that multiple units' capabilities were "comprehensively tested" under actual combat conditions. "The troops in the theatre are ready to fight all the time and can fight at any time, resolutely crushing any form of Taiwan independence separatism and foreign interference," the statement said.
Chinese state television reported that aircraft, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers armed with live missiles, and warships participated in drills designed to "form a multi-directional island-encompassing blockade situation." The Shandong aircraft carrier was involved in combat patrols, with footage showing fighter jets taking off from its deck.
Taiwan's defense ministry released a map displaying 24 hours of Chinese air force activities, including four carrier-based Chinese J-15 fighters operating over the Pacific Ocean to the east of Taiwan. The ministry also reported that it had detected 59 military aircraft and 11 ships around Taiwan as of Monday morning, with the Shandong carrier group conducting drills in the Western Pacific.
Japan's defense ministry said on Monday that the Shandong carried out air operations close to Japan's Okinawan islands on Sunday. Jet fighters and helicopters took off and landed on the carrier 120 times from Friday to Sunday, with the carrier, three other warships, and a support vessel coming within 230 kilometers (143 miles) of Japan's Miyako island.
Japan has been monitoring China's military drills around Taiwan with significant interest, while the European Union expressed concern that any escalation, accident, or use of force in the region would have global implications. The United States has also been closely watching China's exercises.
