Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng, Taiwan's Deputy Chief of the Intelligence Bureau, said that China had launched approximately 27 rockets during its live-fire exercises named "Justice Mission 2025". The commander said intelligence indicated that multiple rocket launchers were fired from Pingtan, Fujian, targeting areas north of Keelung and west of Tainan and Kaohsiung.
China sent out 71 fighter jets towards the island, with 35 crossing the median line. There were also 13 ships from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), 11 of which entered the 24-nautical-mile zone. Additionally, 11 coastguard vessels and 4 government vessels, including those from outlying islands, entered the 24-nautical-mile zone.
The Chinese military drills began early on Monday and came days after the United States announced its largest-ever weapons package for Taiwan, worth US$11.1 billion.
In a fiery editorial on Monday, state news outlet The China Daily said the drills were part of Beijing's response to the arms deal. They also said they were a warning to the Taiwan government, headed by President Lai Ching-te.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, also issued a stern rebuke at a press conference on Monday.
He told reporters the exercises were "a punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces who seek Taiwan independence through military buildup, and a necessary move to safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Justice Mission 2025 is the sixth set of major military drills China has accrued out near Taiwan since the then-US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited the island in 2022.
William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, said a key element of the drills will be "anti-access and area denial capability".
This is designed to ensure Taiwan cannot receive supplies from allies like Japan and the US during a conflict.
China's Eastern Theater Command released a poster on Tuesday, titled "Hammer of Justice: Seal the Ports, Cut the Lines".
These showed large metal hammers hitting the port of Keelung in the north and the port of Kaohsiung in the south.
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