
China holds large naval, air force exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands
The Hindu
China conducts military exercises near Taiwan in response to President Lai's refusal to acknowledge Chinese demands. Taiwan prepares to respond.
China was holding large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands on Monday (October 14, 2024).
China’s Defense Ministry said the drills were a response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s refusal to concede to Beijing’s demands that Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry called the drills a provocation and said its forces were prepared to respond.
Mr. Lai took office in May 2024, continuing the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party that rejects China’s demand that it recognize Taiwan is a part of China. China routinely states that Taiwan independence is a “dead end” and that annexation by Beijing is a historical inevitability.













