China conducted large scale exercises in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday morning. China's Eastern Theatre Command stated live-fire drills were conducted to surround the island of Taiwan.
The joint exercises involved China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces, air force, navy and strategic rocket forces.
The PLA would later publish a statement, reading, “It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,”
These drills come just days after the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued an internal guidance memo for the Pentagon which stated the U.S. would focus solely on confronting China.
Earlier this year, the U.S. placed a second Typhoon Missile System in the Philippines, a system which can cover most of mainland China. Secretary Hagseth also visited the Philippines and Japan over the weekend reaffirming U.S. commitments to the defense of the Taiwan Straits.
In August of 2022, after then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan, a first for any elected U.S. since after the establishment of ties between the U.S. and Peoples Republic of China in 1972, China conducted large scale drills simulating a blockade of the island.
Similar drills were conducted back in October and December of last year as well. With recent statements by the Trump Administration regarding China and the threats of tariffs against China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman stated back on March 4th “if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end. “