Sawt Falasteen - China conducts second day of military drills around Taiwan

The two-day war games, code-named "Justice Mission 2025", started on Monday and were slammed by Taipei as "military intimidation" by Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has refused to rule out using military action to seize the island democracy.

The latest show of force follows a bumper round of arms sales to Taipei by the United States -- Taiwan's main security backer -- and comments from Japan's prime minister that the use of force against Taiwan could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

Beijing warned on Monday that "external forces" arming Taipei would "push the Taiwan Strait into a perilous situation of imminent war", but did not mention any countries by name.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Monday said any attempts to stop China's unification with Taiwan were "doomed to fail".

- 'Live-fire training' -

China said early on Monday it was conducting "live-fire training on maritime targets to the north and southwest of Taiwan" in large-scale exercises involving destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and drones.

Military spokesman Shi Yi said Beijing would send army, navy, air force and rocket force troops for the war games, focusing on "sea-air combat readiness patrol... blockade on key ports and areas, as well as all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain".

He added the drills were "a stern warning against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and... a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity".

Chinese authorities published a map of five large zones around Taiwan where the war games would take place. They are due to finish at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday.

Taiwan said China's designated exercise zones, some of which are within 12 nautical miles of its coast, have affected international shipping and aviation routes.

The island's government condemned China's "disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries", Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said.

Its defence ministry said it had detected 89 Chinese military aircraft near its shores on Monday -- the highest number in a single day since October 2024. It also said it had detected 28 warships and coastguard vessels.

The drills by China's ruling Communist Party "further confirm its nature as an aggressor, making it the greatest destroyer of peace", Taipei's defence ministry said.

- 'Stern warning' -

Beijing's military released a poster about the drills showing "arrows of justice" -- one engulfed in flames -- raining down on a geographical outline of Taiwan.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that a core theme of the exercises was a "blockade" of key Taiwanese ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south.

China's military last held large-scale drills involving live firing around Taiwan in April -- surprise manoeuvres condemned by Taipei.

Beijing said this month it would take "resolute and forceful measures" to safeguard its territory after Taiwan said the United States had approved a major $11 billion arms sale.

On Monday afternoon, AFP reporters in Pingtan -- a Chinese island that is the closest point to Taiwan's main island -- saw two fighter jets soaring across the sky and a Chinese military vessel in the distance.

burs-je/abs

H.Jarrar--SF-PST