China conducts beach landing military exercise near Taiwan
Asia-Pacific, News October 17, 2021 No Comments on China conducts beach landing military exercise near TaiwanChina’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted beach landing military drills in Fujian province opposite of Taiwan.
Chinese military’s account released a video showing People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops invading a beach across the Taiwan Strait in Southern China during drills on October 10, 2021.
China’s National Defense and Military Channel’s official Weibo account released a video clip on Sunday, showing the 73rd Unit of Army conducting beach landing exercises to “explore the combat mode of long-distance landings by light assault boats.” The CCTV post stated that “the landing crafts featured in the video are faster and can carry more troops”.
China’s military official stated that PLA conducted beach landing and assault drills in the Chinese province directly across the sea from Taiwan, however, the exercises were not directly linked to the ongoing tensions with Taipei.
The official People’s Liberation Army Daily newspaper, in a short report on its Weibo (Chinese microblogging website) account, claimed that the drills had been carried out “in recent days” in the southern part of Fujian province.
Fujian province of China holds an important geographical advantage and would likely serve as a key launching site for any Chinese takeover of Taiwan and achieve China’s goal of unification.
According to the Chinese military newspaper, the exercises involved, boat specialists, shock troops, and sappers, and the troops were “divided into multiple waves to grab the beach and perform combat tasks at different stages”.
The online video displayed soldiers in small boats marching towards a beach, breaking through barbed-wire defenses, throwing smoke grenades, and digging trenches.
According to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, recent military drills near Taiwan were targeted at forces promoting the island’s formal independence and are a “just” move to protect peace and stability. China’s PLA conducts regular military drills along the coast, and in the South China Sea.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang stated that the goal of the exercise was to “fundamentally safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and the vital interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
During the press briefing in Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang said, “The People’s Liberation Army exercises are necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Ma also accused the democratic and pro-independence government of Taiwan, and its relations with “external forces”, referring to the United States, of escalating the tensions.
The tensions between China and Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own territory, are going through the worst phase in more than 40 years. While Taiwan’s defense minister claimed that China will be capable of launching a full-scale attack on Taiwan by the year 2025.
Over the weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that “No one should underestimate the Chinese people’s strong determination, will and capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” China’s President Xi avowed China’s resolve to “reunify” Taiwan and emphasized that the best way to achieve reunification was through peaceful means.
However, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen rebuffed China’s move by stating that “Taiwan will not be forced to bow to China”. Taiwan’s President Tsai reiterated that the island is capable of defending itself from China’s rising pressure.
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