Chinese military continues drills to pressure Taiwan as Taiwan holds drill on southern coast simulating reprisal by China

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, which covers the East China Sea, announced on Tuesday that exercises are underway in the seas and skies off Taiwan.

It said one of the focuses of the drills is blockading Taiwan, but it provided no details.

China has continued military drills around Taiwan beyond their scheduled end date initially fixed on Sunday, August 7. China has yet to clarify when they will end. The concern is rising that China’s military pressure may become a regular fixture in the area.

Observers say Beijing could be hoping to use Pelosi’s visit as an excuse to effectively invalidate the median line and maintain constant military pressure on Taiwan.

On a daily basis during the drills, Chinese aircraft have crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line — an unofficial buffer to prevent accidental clashes between the two sides. Taiwan’s defense officials say 14 fighter jets did so on Monday.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the same day that “Taiwan is part of China’s territory.” He added, “China has conducted normal military drills in waters off its own territory.”

China has used similar tactics to Japan. Beijing has sent government ships near the Senkaku Islands on a regular basis, ever since Japan’s government purchased some of the islands from a private Japanese owner in 2012.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s military held a live-fire drill on its southern coast early Tuesday on the assumption that Chinese troops were attempting to come ashore.

A total of 114 artillery shells were fired for over an hour in the county of Pingtung, near the southern tip of the main island.

Thirty-eight cannons were deployed on the shore. After launching illumination flares, the forces fired mid-air artillery shells that strew fragments over a wide area as well as shells directly targeting vessels.

The routine exercise had been announced in July. But it drew attention as it was conducted near waters where the Chinese military had staged drills in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

An official of Taiwan’s Eighth Army Corps told reporters that it is the military’s duty to protect the homeland. He said they will continue the exercises whatever the situation is to build up their capability.

Taiwan’s military plans to conduct the same drill on Thursday.