China to Continue Military Drills near Taiwan

By Staff, Agencies

China on Monday said it will continue its military exercises near Taiwan, which means the country has extended the date of its large-scale military exercises that began on August 4 and were scheduled to conclude on Sunday.

In a statement, the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] said that it will “continue drills in waters near Taiwan island, focusing on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes,” the Chinese daily Global Times reported.

The military drills were held by China in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan against warnings issued by Beijing which sees the self-ruled island as its breakaway province, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Chinese military also launched ballistic missiles around Taiwan, some of which fell in waters which Japan claimed were its exclusive economic zone.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry is also expected to hold a news conference on Monday.