China launched a record-breaking number of military aircraft Monday in exercises surrounding Taiwan that are aimed at warning the country against independence, officials say.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense says the 125 Chinese military aircraft are the most that it has counted in a single day. The Ministry added that 90 of the aircraft, including warplanes, helicopters and drones, were spotted within Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
China’s Defense Ministry said the 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.
The military operation comes four days after Taiwan celebrated the founding of its government on its National Day, with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te saying in a speech that China has no right to represent Taiwan and declaring his commitment to "resist annexation or encroachment."
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"The United States is seriously concerned by the People’s Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The PRC response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation.
"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," he added. "We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning slammed Taiwanese independence during a briefing last Friday, saying, "I would like to stress that ‘Taiwan independence’ is as incompatible with peace of the Taiwan Strait as fire with water."
"The Lai Ching-te authorities’ attempt to reject reunification through the use of force is futile. No matter how many weapons they buy, they cannot stop the historical trend toward China’s reunification," she also said.
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A map aired on China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed six large blocks encircling Taiwan indicating where the military drills were being held, along with circles drawn around Taiwan’s outlying islands. China's Defense Ministry has not said how long the drills will last.
China deployed its Liaoning aircraft carrier for the drills, and CCTV showed a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the deck of the carrier, though the exact location of the ship is unclear.
China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Senior Captain Li Xi said the navy, army air force and missile corps were all mobilized for the drills, which were an integrated operation, according to the Associated Press.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it deployed warships to designated spots in the ocean to carry out surveillance and stand ready. It also deployed mobile missile and radar groups on land to track the vessels at sea.
"Our military will definitely deal with the threat from China appropriately," Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's security council, said Monday at a forum in Taipei, according to the AP. "Threatening other countries with force violates the basic spirit of the United Nations Charter to resolve disputes through peaceful means."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
