China circles Taiwan and Russia cheers
What's Happening in the South China Sea? China says it has "successfully" completed military exercises around the island. Full support from Moscow: "China has the right to respond to provocations". Here are details and insights
China simulates airstrikes with live ammunition. Taipei: 11 ships and 59 Chinese jets engaged around the island of Taiwan. US destroyer Milius near disputed South China Sea islands to assert "freedom of navigation". Tokyo mobilizes fighter planes. These are the latest news arriving from China and the China Sea.
Here are all the details.
WHAT CHINA SAYS ABOUT MILITARY EXERCISES AROUND TAIWAN
China has "successfully" completed military exercises around Taiwan and the Armed Forces are "ready to fight at any moment". This is what we read in a note issued by the Eastern Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which had kicked off three days of exercises on Saturday.
SUCCESS ACCORDING TO CHINA IN TAIWAN EXERCISES
The PLA, reads the note signed by spokesman Shi Yi, "has successfully completed various patrol tasks around the island of Taiwan" and "has thoroughly tested actual combat conditions".
CHINA'S NOTE ON TAIWAN
The troops of the Eastern Command, the note continues, "are ready to fight at any moment, and to resolutely destroy all forms of Taiwan independence separatism and attempts at foreign interference".
THE TIMES OF THE EXERCISES
China had launched three days of exercises around Taiwan after the meeting in Los Angeles between the Taiwanese president and the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, against which he had threatened "resolute countermeasures".
MOSCOW CUDDLES BEIJING ON TAIWAN
In the meantime, the endorsement of Moscow has also arrived, which supports Beijing's position. “In a very short period of time, we have witnessed multiple provocative actions against the People's Republic of China. Of course, China has the sovereign right to respond to these provocative actions, including conducting military maneuvers in strict accordance with international law, and everyone should respect China's right to carry out such actions,” the Kremlin spokesman said. Dmitry Peskov, commenting with reporters on Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, according to RIA Novosti .
LAMBERTI'S INSIGHT (THE PRESS)
Lorenzo Lamberti, a journalist who follows Asia , wrote on Twitter: “Beijing's exercises around Taiwan concluded on schedule. They lasted 3 days against 7 in August 2022. The extension of the maneuvers as well as the block test was also minor, with no impact on commercial operations and scheduled flights (as happened then). No missile launch was reported, operational details are also minor given the lack of release of maps. The significant novelty is the use of the Shandong aircraft carrier off the east coast with simulated attacks against real targets “on the island. In short, less extension but more signs of "combat readiness". In Taipei, no panic and indeed substantial addiction, the failure to launch missiles affects which in August had been discussed due to the lack of alarm from the Taiwanese government (the report came from Japan). The exercises were announced immediately after Macron's departure from Beijing and will end before the arrival of Lula (tomorrow) and Borrell (Thursday). Balance between the need to show strength but not undermine Xi's recent diplomatic posture".
THE LIMES ANALYSIS
On April 7, the geopolitical magazine Limes wrote : “These days for the People's Republic to flex excessively in Taiwan would be counterproductive on all fronts. In any case, it is not excluded that Beijing will intensify military operations in the Strait for the umpteenth time immediately after the visits of Macron and von der Leyen. Perhaps to demonstrate that the art of diplomacy coincides with that of war”.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/cina-taiwan-russia/ on Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:52:20 +0000.