China conducts military drills near Taiwan, warns US against its pledge to defend Taipei

China on Wednesday announced that it has conducted military drills near Taiwan, just a few days after United States President Joe Biden indicated that the US would intervene if Beijing attempted to reunify Taiwan by force. According to a Xinhua report, a Chinese defence spokesperson said, "The recent patrol and training exercises by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) around the Taiwan Island were necessary actions against the collusion between Taiwan and the United States." A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, Tan Kefei noted that the PLA Eastern Theater Command has recently conducted a combined war-preparedness alert patrol and combat training drills involving soldiers from several services and arms in the oceans and skies around Taiwan Island. He further stated that these are the appropriate steps taken in response to the collusion between Taiwan and the US, and in accordance with the necessity to protect "national sovereignty and territorial integrity". Despite decades of independent rule, China continues to see Taiwan as its territory. If necessary, Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to capture the island. Tan Kefei went on to claim that pursuing "Taiwan independence" is bound to fail, as is supporting such measures, and that the US is jeopardising the situation by using the "Taiwan card" to limit China. China calls military drills a 'solemn warning to the recent US-Taiwan collusion activities' The military exercises were a "solemn warning to the recent US-Taiwan collusion activities," according to Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theatre Command. Furthermore, the command conducted "multi-service joint combat readiness patrols" and real combat exercises in the sea and airspace near Taiwan, SCMP reported. China's reaction came after President Biden on Monday stated that the US is prepared to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion. On May 23, Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss bilateral, regional, and global collaboration. Biden, during a joint news conference with the Japanese Prime Minister, emphasised the nation's commitment to safeguarding the security of the Taiwan Strait and opposing unilateral changes to the status quo. When asked if the US is prepared to intervene militarily in Taiwan's defence, he said yes, adding that this is the pledge that the US has made. According to an ANI report, Biden said, “We remain committed to supporting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The US stands firmly with Japan and other nations not to let that happen (China taking over Taiwan)". (Image: AP)

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China conducts military drills near Taiwan, warns US against its pledge to defend Taipei

China conducted military drills near Taiwan, after US President Biden indicated that the US would intervene if Beijing attempted to reunify Taiwan

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