China military drills near Taiwan highlights: Chinese planes briefly cross Taiwan Strait median line

Hours before the PLA announced its military drills near Taiwan Strait, China's maritime safety administration which operates from the southeastern province of Fujian, just across the strait from Taiwan said that it would conduct live-fire military drills at two areas off its coast over several days.

In a statement, the maritime authority said that drills would be held between 8:00 am (local time) on Saturday off the coast of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, and would be repeated at the same time on Tuesday, Thursday and the following Saturday, as well as April 17 and 20.

They also warned other ships not to enter the waterway during live-fire drills which will take place in a confined area off the coast of Pingtan county in Fujian between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm (local time) next Monday, reported South China Morning Post. 

The Taiwanese armed forces released a video message after China started conducting drills on Saturday emphasising they would monitor the situation without escalating tensions. The video shows Taiwan’s army, navy and air force conducting drills and monitoring China’s movements. 

This comes hours after Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that  it spotted 42 Chinese fighters crossing the median line that normally serves as an unofficial border between the China and Taiwan. 

Media reports citing videos and images of the ongoing drill said that the exercise included a long range rocket unit from the Eastern Theatre Command, destroyers, frigates, missile boats, fighter jets, bombers and electronic warfare planes. 

Similarly, state broadcaster CCTV, reported that "long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers" had all been deployed in the war games, as per AFP. 

Fighter jets were seen taking off from an air base in Taiwan on Saturday amid the ongoing China military drill, reported Reuters. The aircraft, Taiwan's Air Force's Mirage 2000-5’s, were later seen landing at the Hsinchu Air Base after concluding drills.

This also comes after the Taiwanese Defence Ministry said that it "condemns such an irrational act that has jeopardized regional security and stability" on Twitter after eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island. 

The Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that the military drills being conducted by Beijing, are rehearsing an "encirclement" of Taiwan. "The task force will simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture," said CCTV, as per AFP. 

Taipei residents reacted with calm after China began a series of military drills in seas facing the Taiwan Strait on Saturday. This comes as China's amphibious landing ship - capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles - fired multiple rounds of artillery on early Saturday in the Luoyan Bay area on the coast of Fujian province. 

"I have seen the news (about the China drills), when there were things like this in the past, before the war in Ukraine, I always just thought it’s how things are. Even now I don’t totally think that these drills will create security concerns for us, but everything that they (China) do, is to push the limits,” Lu Chi-hao, 30, told Reuters. 

A senior United States official, on Saturday vowed to help provide training for Taiwan's armed force and to speed up the delivery of weapons, as China began three days of military exercises around the island. 

"As the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, I sign off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, and I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," said Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee at a lunch in Taipei hosted by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen for his bipartisan delegation. 

A report by Reuters claims that 42 Chinese fighter jets briefly crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as China began drills around Taiwan.

This also comes after Taiwan's defence ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday. 

The ministry expressed "solemn condemnation of such irrational actions", adding the detections, which included 29 jets crossing Taiwan's median line, took place between 6 and 11 am (local time)

After China announced three days of military drills near Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said Saturday the self-ruled island faced "continued authoritarian expansionism". She added, "In recent years we have faced continued authoritarian expansionism."

Tsai also spoke about how Taiwan would, "continue to work with the US and other like-minded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy."

China, on Saturday, announced that it was launching three days of military drills in the Taiwan Strait. According to the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command, "United Sharp Sword" would run April 8 to 10 for "combat preparedness." 

In a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) statement, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the drill would involve police patrol drills in the Taiwan Strait, "to the north and south of Taiwan, and in the sea and airspace to the east of Taiwan".

"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," said Shi Yi, as per Xinhua news agency.