The People’s Liberation Army kicked off drills around Taiwan on Monday that it called “legitimate and necessary” to safeguard national unity.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, said the exercise was a warning to “independence forces” and external interference.
He said the drills – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were taking place in waters and airspace in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan’s main island.
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Shi said the exercise was being conducted by Eastern Theatre Command troops from the army, navy, air force and rocket force.
Live-fire drills would be held on Tuesday between 8am and 6pm, the command said in a separate statement.
“It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.