China’s defence ministry dismissed Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills as a ‘wasteful charade’ that ‘stoked war panic’. The exercises, which began last week, rehearsed various scenarios should China ever attempt to seize the island by force.
Taiwan’s Response
Taiwan, a democratically governed island that rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, has been conducting the drills to prepare for potential Chinese aggression. The Chinese defence ministry spokesperson, Chen Xi, stated that the People’s Liberation Army remains on high alert and is fully prepared to ‘counter separatism and external interference’.
The Chinese government has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, but says it would prefer ‘peaceful reunification’. Taiwan’s government says only the island’s people can decide their future, and regularly criticises China’s pressure campaign.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
