China Military Exercises Live: Taiwan Begins Own Drills as China Extends Maneuvers
NewsweekAug 09, 2022
On Tues., Taiwan's armed forces launched drills simulating defensive operations against an invasion on the island as China's Eastern Theater Command extended exercises near Taiwan that were first expected to end on Sunday.
While a military spokesperson asserted that Taiwan's defensive drills are part of its previously scheduled annual military war games, the island's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, accused China of preparing to attack the nation.
China is threatening to disrupt peace in the Indo-Pacific region with its provocative military drills around Taiwan. Beijing is attempting to routinize military exercises in the Strait, something Taipei can't allow to happen. The autonomously ruled island has a right to exist, and is justified in doing whatever is needed to protect its independence.
China's exercises are necessary to both prepare the Chinese military for any potential engagement initiated by the US and push forward the reunification process. China has every right to assert itself over its own sovereign territory of Taiwan, and the US is playing with fire by disregarding its previous diplomatic agreements with China.
There is a 25% chance that China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.