Taipei, Taiwan -The Chinese army announced on Tuesday large -scale exercises in the waters and aerial space around Taiwan that include a plane battle group, as it warned again the autonomous island democracy against the search for formal independence. The joint exercises involve the forces of the Navy, the air and rockets, and they want to be a « severe warning and a forceful containment against the independence of Taiwan », according to Shi Yi, spokesman for the command of the Eastern Theater of the Army of Liberation of the people. No operational name was announced for the exercises or a previous notice.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory can be controlled by force if necessaryWhile most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and their democratic state. Any conflict could lead to the United States, which maintains a series of alliances in the region and is obliged to in North -American law to treat threats in Taiwan as a matter of « serious concern. »
The Taiwan presidential office said in a message on the X social network platform that « China’s military provocations not only threaten peace in the #Taiwan Strait, but also reduce security throughout the region, as evidenced by exercises near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Philippines and SCS.
The SCS refers to the South China Sea, the strategic river path that China claims almost in its entirety.
China Marina was also recently held Exercises near Australia and New Zealand Therefore he did not give a warning, forcing the last minute reaction of commercial flights.
The United States focuses on « dissuading communist Chinese military aggression »
China’s recent years around Taiwan arrive days after the United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited Japan, where he announced a increase to the next military collaboration of America With the Asian nation directly aimed at fighting Chinese « aggression » in the region.
Hegseth, in Tokyo on Sunday, called Japan an « indispensable partner » in deterring Chinese assertiveness and announced an update of the United States Military Command in Japan to a new « war headquarters. » He emphasized the need for the United States and Japan to strengthen their military capacity, as the region faces the growing assertiveness of China in its territorial violations in the region.
« Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Chinese communist military aggressions, » Hegseth said at the beginning of his conversations with Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo. « The United States moves quickly, as you know, to restore the deterrent in this region and around the world. »
Hegseth’s visit was in the midst of concern in Japan on how North -American Commitment in the region could change under the policy of President Trump, according to Japanese defense officials, speaking with anonymity, citing protocol. Mr. Trump has it threatened to impose commercial tariffs In Japan, an American ally, it causes more concern.
The two parties agreed to accelerate the plans to develop and produce jointly missiles, such as the advanced aerial missiles of middle rank in aerial missiles, or Mraam, and consider the production of SM-6 missiles from surface to the air, to help relieve a shortage of ammunition, said Nakani. The ministers also agreed to accelerate the process involved in the maintenance of war and war planes of the United States in Japan to strengthen and complement the Japanese and North -American defense industries.
Stanislav Kogiku/Soup Images/Lightrocket/Getty 
There are more than 50,000 North -American troops based in Japan.
Last week, Tokyo launched Japan Command Operations, or JJOC, whose mission is to coordinate the Japanese self -defense defense forces, in a significant action to further strengthen the capabilities to respond to contingencies and to better cooperate with the United States.
Hegseth announced on Sunday the improvement of his current command, US forces, putting a unified operational commander to function as the seat of the joint force to relate to his Japanese counterpart to serve as « war headquarters » to strengthen the speed and capacity of joint operations of his troops.
The pentagon head called the reorganization of North -American troops a step to prepare for a possible conflict. In America and Japan they work for peace, he said, but « we must be ready. »
China’s last strength show around Taiwan
The Taiwan National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it had tracked 71 Chinese aircraft and 21 war vessels in the air and the waters surrounding the island during the Chinese exercise. He added that he had been tracking the Shandong aircraft carrier movement since Saturday, and that his carrier had entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, a self -defined area followed by the military.
Reuters/CCTV 
China regularly sends military assets to the area, which China does not recognize, but Taiwanese officials have recently warned that China could launch a heavy attack under the costume of military exercises.
« I mean, these actions widely reflect the destruction of regional peace and stability, » said Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo.
Taiwan has created a central response group to control the last years, Koo said.
Daniel Ceng/Anadolu/Getty 
The exercises arrive only two weeks after a large -scale exercise in mid -March, when Beijing sent a large number of drones and ships to the island.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said that exercises were going to Lai ching-teThe President of Taiwan, strongly pro -independence.
« Lai Ching-te emphasizes a stance of » Taiwan independence « , blatantly labeling on the continental part as » foreign hostile « , and has presented a so-called » 17-point strategy … Agaling anti-Xina feelings, « said Taiwan China made a statement in a statement on Tuesday. »
In mid -March, Lai de Taiwan proposed a 17 -point strategy for Taiwan’s national security. The points include allowing espionage cases to be judged by the military courts and that the immigration rules are stricter for Chinese citizens who request a permanent residence.
Lai’s words and actions seem to have a particularly angry confrontation Xi Jinping, and previous intimidation attempts have had little effect on the Taiwanese audience. They have often been timed in response to expressions of Taiwanese independence, including the visit of the then leader of the North -American House, Nancy Pelosi.
A new propaganda push for China
The China Plan also published a series of videos to present its military exercise, including one in which Lai is a green parasite « poisoning » the island of smaller parasites. The video shows Lai’s head to the body of a bulbous green worm, with a couple of toothpicks who took it and toast on a flame on Taiwan.
Beijing sends war aircraft and navy ships to the island every day, seeking to wear off defenses and Taiwanese morality, although the vast majority of 23 million people on the island reject their sovereignty claim over Taiwan. In recent years he has it increased the scope and scale of these exercisesFrom the sending of a small number of individual fighters and surveillance aircraft to the sending of groups of aircraft, drones and vessels.
« The plan organized the naval and aerial forces to practice topics such as sea and earth strikes, focusing on troops to carry out precision attacks on some key objectives of Taiwan authorities from various directions, » said Zhang Chi, a professor at the University of China National Defense in an interview with Chinese state television.
Taiwan and China were divided in the middle of the Civil War 76 years ago, but tensions have increased since 2016, when China cut off almost every Taipei contacts.
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