Chinese warship starts live-fire drills near Taiwan
A Chinese warship in seas facing the Taiwan Strait began live-fire drills on Saturday as Beijing launched military exercises it calls a warning against pro-independence forces in Taiwan.
The amphibious landing ship – capable of carrying troops and vehicles – fired multiple artillery rounds in the Luoyan Bay area on the coast of Fujian Province, about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of the Matsu islands near the mainland that are controlled by Taiwan, Reuters reported.
China views the island of Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s claims.
Smoke and muzzle flares were visible on the stern of the warship as it fired shells at targets on land and at sea. Fishing boats and cargo vessels cruised nearby, steering clear of the exercise zone.
China’s Eastern Theater Command, one of the five commands of the People’s Liberation Army that oversees the East China Sea including the Taiwan Strait, said combat readiness patrols would be conducted around Taiwan for three days as a “serious” warning against pro-independence forces in Taiwan and to safeguard China’s territorial integrity.
Drills to the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan were also planned, after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States on Wednesday, infuriating Beijing.