“The Chinese army announced military exercises with live fire near Taiwan.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
The Dali frigate, which is part of the flotilla of the Chinese Navy of the PLA during exercises on February 25, 2025, illustrative photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn Source: Reuters citing the Chinese military
Details: The Eastern Command of China’s military announced that live firing exercises will take place on Tuesday. According to a statement from the Chinese military, they will cover five zones around the island that will be subject to maritime and airspace restrictions for 10 hours.
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This is China’s sixth major round of military exercises since 2022.
Reuters adds that the military drills come 11 days after the US announced an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the island’s largest-ever arms package, prompting an outcry from China’s defense ministry and warnings that the military would “take strong measures” in response.
Literally from the publication: “Beijing’s drills are increasingly blurring the line between conventional military exercises and what analysts say could be pre-attack, a strategy designed to give the US and its allies minimal warning of an attack.”
Details: China’s military said it had deployed fighter jets, bombers, drones and long-range missiles and would practice strikes against moving ground targets, simulating a coordinated attack on the island from multiple directions.
“These (exercises) are a serious warning to separatist forces seeking Taiwan’s independence and foreign meddling forces,” said Shi Yi, a spokesman for China’s military’s Eastern Command.
Taiwan’s government condemned the drills and called on Beijing to immediately stop what it called “irresponsible provocations.”
Taiwan’s defense ministry said two Chinese warplanes and 11 ships had been operating around the island in the past 24 hours, and Taiwan’s military was on high alert and ready to conduct “quick response training.”
Following the announcement of the exercise, the Chinese military released two posters with the slogans “Shields of Justice: Shattering Illusions” and “Arrows of Justice: Control and Denial,” along with an illustration showing four locations on the island with targets pointed at them.
We will remind: China has deployed more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles in new mine-launched launchers and shows no intention of negotiating arms control. Beijing continues to build up its nuclear potential and is preparing military scenarios for the capture of Taiwan.
The draft report appeared against the background of US President Donald Trump’s statements about work on the denuclearization plan of the Russian Federation and China.
The report was presented less than two months before the expiration of the SNO-3 treaty (on strategic offensive weapons). This is the last valid agreement between the US and Russia, which limits the nuclear arsenals of the parties (up to 1,550 warheads). The contract was extended by former US President Joe Biden and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin in 2021 for five years, and its terms do not provide for further extensions.
Experts fear that after the agreement expires in February 2026, an uncontrolled three-way nuclear arms race may begin.