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Amber Wang

The Chinese navy sent three warships for live-fire drills in the East China Sea in the countdown to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s expected meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said on Sunday that the frigate Xiangtan, guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan, and destroyer Taizhou conducted a combat drill in the waters “recently”.
It did not say when or where the exercises took place but footage and photos posted online show the warships conducting live-fire drills against “enemy warships”.
The command also said more than 10 training courses were conducted to “further test the cooperative combat capability of the ship formation”, with the three warships “ready to fight at any time”.
China unofficially suggests way to mitigate any Taiwan trip by House speaker: US sources
The statement did not refer to “Taiwan” directly but Chinese analysts said that given the drill was carried out by the command that oversees the Taiwan Strait, it was a clear response to Tsai’s transit through the United States.
The exercise also indicated that a “strong” countermeasure could follow if Tsai met McCarthy, the third-ranked US official.
Beijing has warned repeatedly against the US transit.
Tsai stopped in New York for two nights last week en route to visit Guatemala and Belize – among the handful of countries that still have official ties with Taipei – and will spend two nights in Los Angeles on her way back this week, when she is expected to meet McCarthy.
On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning repeated Beijing’s opposition to any form of official contact between the US and Taiwanese authorities.
“China will take firm measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mao said, warning the US “not to send wrong signals” to Taiwan’s independence forces.


The Eastern Theatre Command also recently conducted after-midnight air combat training that included “seizing air supremacy”.
The exercises were in addition to the PLA’s continued regular air patrols near the self-ruled island in the past week.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, of the 18 PLA warplane sorties around the island in the 24 hours from 6am March 31, 10 were across the median line in the Taiwan Strait.
Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, said the PLA took “clear action” every time Tsai transited and colluded with the US.
“The exercises highlight that the PLA is fully capable of dealing with any challenges and consequences that may be caused by US-Taiwan collusion,” Zhu said.
The island’s security chief has said that Beijing is not expected to react to Tsai’s US stops on the same scale as last year’s unprecedented drills encircling the island in response to a visit to Taipei by McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.


Song Zhongping, a former PLA artillery instructor, said PLA’s response would be “very strong” if there was a meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, and it would lead to “a further deterioration of relations between China and the US”.
China-US ties hit a new low earlier this year after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew into US airspace, prompting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his trip to China.
“The PLA needs to strengthen its military struggle in case Tsai makes a misjudgment and risks anything that violates the one-China principle. In that case, the PLA will definitely take action to solve the problem,” Song said.
Tsai’s trip coincides with a historic visit to the Chinese mainland by former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou.
Ma said the two sides should make efforts to “avoid war” and reaffirmed the importance of the “1992 consensus” in a meeting last week with Taiwan Affairs Office head Song Tao.
The consensus is an understanding that there is only “one China”, but each side will have its own interpretation of what constitutes “China”.


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Taiwan

PLA Navy stages live-fire drill as Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen transits in the United States

The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command sent three warships for a drill in the East China Sea in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s transit through the United States. Photo: Weibo

At Mayan ruins, Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemala’s Alejandro Giammattei reaffirm ties

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, left, and Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei shake hands at the Tikal archaeological site in Peten, Guatemala on Saturday. Photo: Handout / Guatemalan Presidency / AFP

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, right centre, watches a performance during a visit to the Mayan site Tikal, in Peten, Guatemala on Saturday. Photo: AP

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen with her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Friday. Photo: Reuters 

US and China in ‘frequent, clear and candid’ dialogue on Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen’s visit, American envoy says

Daniel Kritenbrink, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, anticipated that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen would have an opportunity to engage with various members of the US Congress during her visit. Photo: AP

Tsai Ing-wen (centre) attends an event at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York on Thursday. Photo: AP

China warns US that trip by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen could lead to ‘serious confrontation’

Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen leaves her hotel in New York on Wednesday. She is scheduled to stop by California after a 10-day trip to Central America. Photo: Reuters


Protesters look on as Tsai, not pictured, arrives at her hotel in New York City. China has warned the US against the Taiwanese leader meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Photo: AFP

Supporters of Tsai look on in New York City as she arrives. Photo: AFP

Beijing will ‘resolutely hit back’ if Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen meets US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Tsai Ing-wen’s 10-day visit to Central America includes two US stopovers. Photo: EPA-EFE

Back Taiwan’s bid to join global groups, Tsai Ing-wen urges democratic countries

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (centre) accepts a Hudson Global Leadership Award from John Walters, director and CEO of the Hudson Institute (left), and institute chairwoman Sarah May Stern in New York on Thursday. Photo: CNA

News

China

Military

Eastern Theatre Command sends three warships to the East China Sea, a clear response to the trip, analyst says
More could follow if the Taiwanese president meets the US House speaker on her way home, he says


Eastern Theatre Command sends three warships to the East China Sea, a clear response to the trip, analyst says.


PLA Navy stages live-fire drill as Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen transits in the United States

Eastern Theatre Command sends three warships to the East China Sea, a clear response to the trip, analyst says More could follow if the Taiwanese president meets the US House speaker on her way home, he says

Eastern Theatre Command sends three warships to the East China Sea, a clear response to the trip, analyst says

More could follow if the Taiwanese president meets the US House speaker on her way home, he says