TaiwanBIZZ

People hope for regional peace and stability to continue, so they will not accept military maneuvers surrounding the country, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said Thursday (May 23). China announced Thursday morning it was starting two days of drills labeled “Joint Sword-2024A” involving land,

China deployed naval and air forces around Taiwan on Thursday, as it launched a two-day military exercise just days after the island's presidential inauguration of William Lai Ching-te.

China's military started two days of "punishment" drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to "separatist acts", just days after new Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office and called on Beijing to cease its threats.

Taiwan says it has scrambled jets and put missile, naval and land units on alert over drills China has announced around the self-governing island democracy.

Taiwan's military mobilised its forces and said it was confident it could protect the island after China started two days of "punishment" drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to "separatist acts".

China has launched two days of military drills surrounding Taiwan in what it called “punishment” for “separatist acts,” days after the self-ruling island swore in a new democratically elected leader.

Chinese military drills in the straits of Taiwan in 2023 practiced manoeuvres key to an invasion of the island, although an actual attack was not imminent or inevitable, a senior US general in the region said on Thursday.

The large-scale operations are a “punishment for separatist acts,” China’s military says, just days after the inauguration of Lai Ching-te.