China announced the completion of military drills around Taiwan on Monday, after carrying them out for three days, stating that the integrated military capabilities were tested by them under actual combat conditions as they practised precision strikes and “sealed off” the island that is viewed by Beijing as its own.
The drills, dubbed as “Joint Sword”, were announced by Beijing on Saturday, after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen landed back in Taipei following his meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
The use of force was never renounced by China to bring Taiwan, which is democratically governed, under the control of Beijing. The claims of China have been strongly disputed by Taiwan’s government and the latter also denounced the drills.
The Chinese military stated that it had “successfully completed” the exercises and “comprehensively tested” the capabilities of various units amid actual combat conditions.
“The troops in the theatre are ready to fight all the time and can fight at any time, resolutely crushing any form of Taiwan independence separatism and foreign interference,” said the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army, in a statement.
