Taiwan Straits live-fire drills are routine warning to separatists, expert says, as Fujian issues maritime alert
The Zhangzhou maritime safety administration in East China's Fujian Province issued a navigation warning, stating that live-fire drills will be conducted in some areas of the Taiwan Straits on Thursday and Friday, according to the website of China's Maritime Safety Administration. Entry into the designated areas is prohibited, the website showed.
Some foreign media, including Reuters, have claimed that the drills were linked to the talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a range of issues on Wednesday.
Pushing back against a series of recent negative US remarks and actions, Wang on Wednesday urged the US side to respect China's core interests, uphold the one-China principle, properly manage differences, and address China's legitimate concerns during his meeting with Rubio in Manila, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
In response to questions about China's decision to conduct live-fire drills in the Taiwan Straits, taken just one day after Rubio and Wang met in the Philippines and discussed, among other topics, the Taiwan question, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that "relevant Chinese authorities have already released information" regarding the exercise.
According to maps, the two sets of live-fire drill coordinates announced in the notice are both located in waters south of Dongshan Island in Fujian, facing the Taiwan Straits but staying on the near-sea side of the Chinese mainland, rather than extending to the middle of the strait.
The live-fire exercise is a regular, routine training drill aimed at improving combat capabilities against sea, land and air targets, thereby more effectively safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.
At the same time, the drills serve as a clear warning to separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence" - the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains on high alert at all times, ready to respond to any threat to national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Zhang said.
China has sufficient strength to strike separatist forces and counter any provocative actions. This fully demonstrates that the PLA is always prepared to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the expert said.