TAIPEI, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Monday that the military is monitoring a series of Chinese live-fire drills taking place up and down the country’s coast this week.
Starting from Thursday, the China Maritime Safety Administration announced no sail notices for five areas, from the South China Sea up to the northeastern province of Liaoning, though none around Taiwan itself.
The closest one to Taiwan is off China’s eastern province of Zhejiang. The drills are scheduled to last all week, according to the notices.
Speaking to reporters in parliament, Koo said the preliminary assessment is that these activities were firing drills by coastal artillery and related units.
“However, we adhere to the principle of ‘anticipating the enemy as broadly as possible’, so we will continue to closely monitor their activities, whether firing or military training,” he said.
President Lai Ching-te, in his national day speech on Saturday, said Taiwan cherishes peace but will not give up its freedom, and there must be respect for the right of Taiwan’s people to exist.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, condemned his remarks, as it always does. China views Lai as a “separatist” and has rebuffed his repeated offers of talks.
While China has not linked the drills this week to Lai’s speech, on Sunday the country’s defence ministry said he was exaggerating the threat from China and trying to “seek independence through force”.
“The People’s Liberation Army’s regular training and exercises around Taiwan are meant to deter reckless ‘Taiwan independence’ moves and outside interference, and to safeguard the security and well-being of the Taiwanese people. This is entirely justified,” it said.
China’s military operates around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, though it has not held full war games since late December, which were in response to an $11 billion arms sale announced by Washington, the largest ever.
Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and that Beijing has no right to claim the island as its territory.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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