China commences military exercises to penalize Taiwan following the election of a new leader in the island.
Morning workouts that began on Thursday and surround Taiwan constitute the first genuine challenge for Lai Ching-te to manage delicate interactions with China, following his induction as Taiwan's latest president on Monday.
China's Communist Party assert that the sovereign democracy is part of their territory, not having had control over it, and have vowed to seize the island if necessary.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) revealed that military exercises commenced at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, featuring the army, navy, air force, and rocket force near Taiwan.
These exercises are being carried out in the Taiwan Strait, separating the self-governing island from the mainland, as well as north, south, and east of Taiwan. In addition, the maneuvers involve the outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin, situated close to China's southeastern coast, it is stated.
Colonel Li Xi, PLA's Naval spokesperson, views the training as "a powerful response to the Taiwan independence forces' unlawful acts and a stern warning against interference and incitement by external agents."
Lai, entering his third consecutive term as the DDP's leader, fills China with revulsion for his proclamation of Taiwan's autonomy and unique identity.
In response to Lai's inauguration address, where he urged China to halt its bullying of Taiwan, Beijing has termed him "embarrassing."
Taiwan's Defence Ministry announced that it had mobilized naval, air, and ground forces to address China's drills. The ministry voiced disappointment at "such unreasonable provocations and actions that compromise regional tranquility and steadiness."
Martha Zhou from Beijing and Eric Cheung from Taipei contributed reporting for CNN.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
