AssetID: 53784282
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: China Holds First-Ever Military Drills Simulating a Full-Scale Invasion of Taiwan
Caption: China Holds First-Ever Military Drill Simulating a Full-Scale Invasion of Taiwan. BBC reports that China has opened two days of military drills near Taiwan, calling the exercises "strong punishment" for the self-ruled nation's "separatist acts". News of the military exercises come just three days after Taiwanese President William Lai was inaugurated. Taiwan's defense ministry called the Chinese military drill "irrational provocations," while deploying naval, air and ground forces to "defend the island's sovereignty". According to Taiwanese military officials, the latest Chinese drills are the first simulated full-scale attack on the island. Maps released by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) showed that the exercises were taking place all around Taiwan's main island. For the first time, the drills also targeted the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, all which lie near to the Chinese coast. According to the PLA, the drills are focused on conducting joint sea-air combat-readiness operations and precision strikes on critical targets. The exercises will also run integrated operations inside and outside the island to determine the "joint real combat capabilities" of Tawian's forces. China's foreign ministry defended the drills as a "necessary and legitimate move" to safeguard national sovereignty. "I need to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is both a fact based on history and the true status quo. This will not change in the future. Taiwan independence is doomed to fail.", Wang Wenbin, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, via BBC. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
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