China launches largest-ever live-fire drills around Taiwan |
Beijing: China launched 10 hours of live-firing exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, deploying new amphibious assault ships alongside bomber aircraft and warships on the second day of its largest-ever war games aimed at rehearsing a blockade of the island.
The Eastern Theatre Command said live-firing would take place until 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) in the sea and airspace of five locations surrounding Taiwan, and that naval and air force units were drilling strikes on maritime and aerial targets as well as anti-submarine operations to the democratically governed island’s north and south.
Named “Justice Mission 2025”, the drills began 11 days after the U.S. announced a record $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan and are Beijing’s largest exercises to date by total coverage and proximity to the island, following China’s Maritime Safety Administration on Monday adding two additional live-fire zones.
A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that Taipei is watching whether this sixth major round of war games since 2022, when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, will also see China fire missiles over Taiwan, as it did then.
Beijing also looks to be using the exercises to practise striking land-based targets such as the U.S.-made HIMARS rocket system, the source said, a highly mobile artillery system with a range of about 300 km (186 miles)........