China began a military exercise near Taiwan as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the Taiwanese Parliament. In the midst of rising tensions in the region, the Chinese military drills will include ‘long-range live ammunition shooting’ as well as naval and air exercises. According to reports, the drills could come as close as 20 kilometres to Taiwan’s shores.
Taiwan’s defence ministry, which has been closely monitoring the drills, reported on Tuesday that at least 21 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone ahead of Pelosi’s visit. Taiwan claimed the Chinese drills were intended to threaten ports and urban areas, accusing the Communist country of attempting to ‘unilaterally undermine regional peace and stability’.
According to the state-run Global Times, which cited the Xinhua news agency, the PLA will conduct a series of live-fire military drills in six different areas ‘that encircle the island of Taiwan from all directions’. The three-day military exercise is expected to take place between August 4 and August 7. According to a state-run newspaper, a J-20 stealth fighter took off from an airfield on Tuesday to participate in a military exercise.