Taiwan: China’s drills simulate an attack on island

Taiwan said China’s military drills on Saturday appeared to be simulating an attack on its main island, as Chinese warplanes and warships crossed the strait’s median line in a continued show of force.

China is engaging in increasingly destabilizing action, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Saturday, saying he has communicated this to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Blinken said tensions between the U.S. and China need to be de-escalated and he told Wang that lines of communications between the two sides must be kept open.

The People’s Liberation Army said it conducted live-fire drills in the sea and airspace of northern, southwestern, and eastern Taiwan as planned on Saturday. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it detected 20 PLA warplanes and 14 warships around the Taiwan Strait as of 5 p.m. local time.

Taiwan said its army monitored the situation with the Patriot missile system, and sent air patrols and naval ships. Chinese drills are unilaterally changing the regional status quo and sabotaging peace in the Taiwan Strait, it said.

China is carrying out its most provocative military drills in decades in the wake of House Speaker

Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan this week. It has also likely fired missiles over the island of 23 million people, sent warships across the Taiwan Strait’s median line and waves of warplanes across the U.S.defined boundary.

Beijing has denounced the visit by Pelosi as a violation of the U.S. pledge 50 years ago not to formally recognize the government of Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. It announced on Friday a set of measures including cutting off defense talks with the U.S., further deteriorating relations between the world’s biggest economies.

“Maintaining dialogue is arguably even more important when we’re in period of heightened tensions,” Blinken said in a briefing in Manila. China’s actions against the U.S. on Friday are “another irresponsible step,” he said.

Taiwan’s military warned off drones flying over restricted waters surrounding its outer islands late Friday, the third consecutive day such incidents occurred. Earlier this week, it said Chinese army drones were flying near some of the islands.

China’s military exercises are making ships think twice about heading into one of Taiwan’s most important ports, creating potential delays for shipments of electronic goods. Ship owners, worried about the possibility of missile strikes, are choosing to idle vessels and burn extra fuel until the drills pass.