China Announces Military Drills Near Taiwan as New US Delegation Arrives on Island

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Friday announced the launch of new military exercises in Taiwanese waters and airspace over reports of a new US delegation's visit to the island.

"The Chinese PLA's Eastern Theater Command recently organized patrols and practical combat exercises using various weapons and services in Taiwan's waters and airspace," the PLA said on WeChat, adding that "it is a standard military action in response to the changing situation in the Taiwan Strait."

The combat training of personnel will continue in order to defend China's sovereignty and security, as well as stability in the Taiwan Strait, the PLA added. The exact timeframe and location of the exercises have not been announced yet.

The US delegation led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn arrived in Taiwan for a three-day visit on Thursday evening, media reported. This is the ninth US delegation to arrive to the island this year, and the fourth in just one month, despite China's strong opposition to any official foreign contacts with Taiwan, which it considers an unalienable part of its sovereign territory.

"The CCP will stop at nothing to achieve global domination and destroy Taiwan’s independence," she tweeted. "That’s why I’m in Taipei to discuss ways to strengthen our relationships with Tsai Ing-wen."

She had called Taiwan the US' "strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific Region" in a release upon her arrival, saying she would "not be bullied by Communist China" into turning her back on the self-governed island.

Blackburn, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted Friday that she was helping lead the effort in Congress to increase military support to Taiwan and security for Pacific Island nations. Blackburn arrived in Taipei on Thursday, following visits to Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., heads into a Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 19, 2020.

© AP Photo / Susan Walsh

In a video posted after her meeting with Tsai, the Tennessee senator said they had also made time to discuss "Tennessee, semiconductors and how this affects our auto, our appliance, our health information technology industries." She noted that she would also meet with Taiwan’s security, defense, and foreign ministry officials.

The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island from August 2-3. The visit was followed by another US delegation led by US Senator Edward J. Markey on August 14 and the visit of Eric Holcomb, the governor of the US state of Indiana, on August 21, triggering yet another wave of China's military maneuvers near the island.