Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country’s armed forces to step up “real combat training” amid tensions surrounding Taiwan and after three days of military drills to pressure the island.
China regards Taiwan as a province it has not successfully reunified with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
Beijing saw last week’s meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Kevin McCarthy, the third figure in the US government, as a provocation.
In retaliation, the Chinese military held military drills to put pressure on Taiwan.
Warships, high-speed rocket launchers and fighter planes in particular were mobilized for these exercises, which ended on Monday.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday reported Xi Jinping’s first remarks since the military maneuvers.
The military should “vigorously defend our territorial sovereignty and our maritime rights and interests of China and maintain the overall stability of our neighborhood,” the Chinese leader stressed.
Xi Jinping made his comments, which did not specifically mention Taiwan, during a visit to a naval base in southern China on Tuesday.
According to CCTV, the leader urged the country’s armed forces to “increase military training in real combat.”
peace in jeopardy
China disapproves of the rapprochement between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States in recent years, which has provided significant military support to the island despite the lack of official ties.
Last summer, China conducted unprecedented military maneuvers around Taiwan, firing missiles in response to a visit to the island by Nancy Pelosi, then Mr McCarthy’s landlord.
These remarks by Xi Jinping were made on Tuesday, the day the United States and the Philippines began the largest joint military maneuvers in their history.
Through these exercises, the two historical allies are trying to strengthen their coordination to counter China’s influence in the region.
The Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan could make it a key partner in the event of a Chinese invasion of the democratic island.
The Philippines earlier this month announced the location of four new military bases that could be used by the United States, including one near the disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.
China has blasted that deal, which it says would “endanger peace and stability in the region.”