China justifies military drills near Taiwan as 'necessary action' to defend sovereignty

China on September 16 defended the military exercises it conducted near the Taiwan strait last week as "necessary action" to defend the country's sovereignty. Beijing carried out large-scale naval and air exercises between mainland Taiwan and Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, which was strongly opposed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) as it accused the People Liberation Army (PLA) of violating its air defence identification zone (ADIZ). 

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Aimed at Western forces

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, during a press conference, told reporters that the exercises were aimed at interference by western forces in the region, referring to the United States, which has been carrying out its own military activities in the South China Sea and has deployed two carriers. Xiaoguang said that the drills were also aimed at Taiwan's independence activities adding that it was not in any way directed towards the people of Taiwan. 

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Xiaoguang further slammed Taiwan for becoming a pawn into the hands of foreign forces in trying to stop China's development. He asserted that Taiwan is and will continue to remain a "sacred" and "inseparable" part of China. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and sees the United States, ROC's biggest arms supplier, as a threat to its influence in the region. China has on several occasions carried out military drills near the Taiwan strait, mainly as a show of strength. 

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Taiwan's defense ministry on August 10 had informed that the country's air force intercepted Chinese fighter jets who had crossed the median line of the sensitive Formosa strait, separating the self-ruled island and mainland China. The alleged violation took place during the high-profile visit by the United States Secretary of Health Alex Azar, who became the first US politician to visit Taiwan in four decades. In June, Chinese fighter jets were intercepted by Taiwan on five different occasions. 

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