PLA fires rockets in waters near Taiwan on second day of Beijing’s drills around island
Coastguard releases poster depicting blockade as Eastern Theatre Command conducts live-fire exercises to north and south of island
According to statements and videos released by the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, live-fire drills were conducted north, south and east of the island, highlighting the PLA’s capacity to seize or impose a blockade on the island using various tactics.
The videos showed troops preparing for the exercise before sunrise, including sending out a drone that was apparently used to film rockets exploding in the target area in waters north of the island.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Monday afternoon that the exercise area delineated by the PLA encompassed Taiwan’s 12-nautical-mile zone.
On Tuesday afternoon, the ministry said shells fired by the PLA were “scattered around Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile line”.
The ministry said that from 6am to 3pm on Tuesday, Taiwanese forces detected 71 PLA aircraft sorties, 13 PLA vessels, 15 mainland coastguard ships and four ships within an amphibious formation operating in waters east of the island.