China has deployed fighter jets and warships to surround Taiwan in military exercises that Beijing claims are intended to send a “stern warning” to “separatist” forces on the self-governing island.
Beijing has not ruled out the possibility of using force to take control of Taiwan, and the drills on October 14 mark the fourth round of large-scale military exercises that China has conducted in the past two years.
The United States stated that China’s actions were “unprecedented” and risked “escalation.” Washington urged Beijing to exercise restraint.
Near the Hsinchu airbase in northern Taiwan, 12 fighter jets were seen taking off into the sky.
The islands on the periphery of Taiwan, administered by Taipei, were on “high alert,” and “aircraft and ships will respond to the enemy in accordance with the rules,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense.
Beijing stated that its drills serve as a “stern warning against the separatist actions of the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces.”
