Chinese Military Stages Drill 12/29 06:35

   China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and rocket troops to conduct 
joint military drills around the island of Taiwan

   HONG KONG (AP) -- China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and rocket 
troops to conduct joint military drills around the island of Taiwan, a move 
Beijing called a "stern warning" against separatist and "external interference" 
forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Chinese 
government "the biggest destroyer of peace."

   Later in the day, Taiwan's aviation authority said more than 100,000 
international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or 
diversions because of the drills.

   The first of two days of drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. 
arms sales to the territory and a statement by Japan's prime minister, Sanae 
Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China were to take action 
against Taiwan, the self-governing island that the world's second-biggest 
economy says must come under its rule. The Chinese military did not mention the 
United States and Japan in its statement on Monday morning.

   Taiwan's Defense Ministry said in a post on X that rapid response exercises 
were underway, with forces on high alert to defend the island. In a separate 
statement, it said it had deployed appropriate forces in response, conducting 
combat readiness drills.

   "The Chinese Communist Party's targeted military exercises further confirm 
its nature as an aggressor and the biggest destroyer of peace," the ministry 
said.

   Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China's People's Liberation Army's 
Eastern Theater Command, said the drills would be conducted in the Taiwan 
Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

   Shi said the activities will focus on sea-air combat readiness patrol, 
"joint seizure of comprehensive superiority" and blockades on key ports. It was 
also the first large-scale military drill where the command publicly mentioned 
one of the goals was "all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain."

   "It is a stern warning against 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and 
external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to 
safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," Shi said.

   China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war 
brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Party 
forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own 
government, though the mainland's government claims it as sovereign territory.

   Live firing exercises scheduled for Tuesday

   The command on Monday deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and 
unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside long-range rockets, to the north and 
southwest of the Taiwan Strait. It carried out live fire exercises against 
targets in the waters as well. Among other training, drills to test the 
capabilities of sea-air coordination and precise target hunting were also 
conducted in the waters and airspace to the east of the strait.

   Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence of the 
Taiwanese Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 89 aircraft and 
drones were operating around the strait, with 67 of them entering the "response 
zone" -- airspace under the force's monitoring and response. In the sea, the 
ministry detected 14 navy ships around the strait and four other warships in 
the Western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.

   "Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait ... does not only 
mean military pressure on us. It may bring more complex impact and challenges 
to the international community and neighboring countries," Hsieh told reporters.

   Military drills are set to continue Tuesday. Taiwan's Civil Aviation 
Administration said Chinese authorities had issued a notice saying seven 
temporary dangerous zones would be set up around the strait to carry out 
rocket-firing exercises from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, barring aircraft from 
entering them.

   The Taiwanese aviation authority said more than 850 international flights 
were initially scheduled during that period and the drills would affect over 
100,000 travelers. Over 80 domestic flights, involving around 6,000 passengers, 
were also canceled, it added.

   The Chinese command released themed posters about the drills online 
accompanied by provocative wording. One poster depicted two shields with the 
Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. Its social media 
post said the drills were about the "Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion," 
adding that any foreign interlopers or separatists touching the shields would 
be eliminated.

   Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 U.S. defense-related 
companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms 
sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. If approved by the U.S. 
Congress, it would be the largest-ever American weapons package to the 
self-ruled territory.

   Under U.S. federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to 
assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly 
contentious with China. The U.S. and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations 
until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter's administration recognized and 
established relations with Beijing.

   Taiwanese army on high alert

   Monday's drills heightened tensions on both sides. Karen Kuo, spokesperson 
for the Taiwanese president's office, said the operation was undermining the 
stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly 
challenging international law and order.

   "Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for disregarding 
international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring 
countries." she said.

   Taiwan's Defense Ministry released a video that featured its weapons and 
forces in a show of resilience. Multiple French Mirage-2000 aircraft conducted 
landings at an air force base.

   Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a near-daily 
basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these 
exercises. In October, the Taiwanese government said it would accelerate the 
building of a "Taiwan Shield" or "T-Dome" air defense system in the face of the 
military threat from China.

   The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he 
hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead 
of "crashing waves and howling winds," during a trip to Shanghai.