Xi Jinping calls to prepare for war as China launches live-fire exercise in Taiwan Strait
The Hindu
China conducts live-fire exercise near Taiwan, escalating tensions and reinforcing its stance on territorial claims.
China's military began a live-fire exercise near Taiwan on Tuesday (October 22, 2024), maintaining pressure on the self-ruled island after staging large-scale drills and President Xi Jinping called for troops to prepare for war.
China's Communist Party has never ruled the island, but it claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will not renounce the use of force to bring it under its control.
This month it sent planes and warships around the island in what Beijing said was a "stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces".
Also Read: China lodges protest with India over Taiwan’s office in Mumbai
On Monday, the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) in the eastern island of Pingtan announced that "gun firing" would take place in a limited area close to the Chinese mainland, about 105km (66 miles) from Taiwan.
The MSA said they would start at 9:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) and take place for four hours in an area encompassing about 150 sqkm (60 square miles).
Also Read: Where do China-Taiwan relations stand? | Explained
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