China holds live-fire drills near Taiwan, in another show of force

China’s military is conducting live-fire drills near Taiwan and is warning ships to avoid the area Tuesday following a massive exercise last week that left the U.S. “seriously concerned.” 

The drills near the Pingtan islands off China’s southern Fujian province facing Taiwan are being tracked by the Taiwan Defense Ministry. 

“It cannot be ruled out that it is one of the ways to expand the deterrent effect in line with the dynamics in the Taiwan Strait,” the Ministry said in a statement, adding that China’s drills are part of an annual exercise. 

Last week, China held a one-day military exercise aimed at practicing the “sealing off of key ports and key areas.” Taiwan counted a record one-day total of 153 aircraft, 14 navy vessels and 12 Chinese government ships. 

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China’s Defense Ministry said those drills were a response to the Taiwanese president’s refusal to accept Beijing’s demand that self-governed Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party.  

Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, then called on China to stop its exercises. 

“Like all democratic countries in the world, we believe that China’s military exercises are a threat to regional peace and stability. Regardless of the scale of the exercise, China’s military exercises should not frequently approach Taiwan to make meaningless declarations,” he said. 

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State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller also said “The United States is seriously concerned by the People’s Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan.” 

“We call on the PRC to act with restraint and to avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which is essential to regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern,” Miller added. “We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.