China held military exercises this Sunday (25) near Taiwan, an island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, in response to “provocations” by the United States.
Chinese authorities did not reveal the exact location of the maneuvers or the equipment used.
China considers Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, one of its provinces, which has yet to reunite with the rest of its territory after the end of the civil war in 1949.
The Asian country has watched with distrust the rapprochement in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the US government, which has provided military support to the island for several decades.
The People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) “carried out joint combat preparation exercises that bring together various services” at sea and in the airspace around Taiwan island, as well as “joint attack exercises”, said Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Operations Center.
“This is a firm response to the growing collusion and provocation by US and Taiwanese authorities,” it added in a statement.
The PLA also released photos of a bomber, a warship and an image taken from the cockpit of an airplane that shows what is presented as a mountain range in Taiwan.
The rapprochement between the United States and Taiwan, which began under former US President Donald Trump, has exacerbated already existing tensions between Beijing and Washington.
In August, the Chinese military organized major military exercises around the island in response to a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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