China’s military to hold live-fire drills off Taiwan as US delegation visits the island

Six-day exercise begins on Thursday, as former American officials are due to meet President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei

Drills will be conducted near disputed Pratas Islands in what is seen as a ‘declaration of sovereignty’ and warning to foreign nations

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The PLA drills will be conducted to the southwest of Taiwan and will run until Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:00pm, 14 Apr 2021Updated: 6:34am, 15 Apr 2021

China’s military will begin live-fire drills on Thursday in waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, as an unofficial US delegation visits the self-ruled island.

The six-day exercise will be carried out to the south of the Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration announced on Wednesday.

It has set out a no-go zone for vessels in an area near the islands while the live-fire drills are under way until Tuesday.

The People’s Liberation Army exercise comes as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is due to meet a visiting American delegation on Thursday morning.

Former US senator Chris Dodd and former deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg travelled to Taipei on Tuesday for a three-day visit. They were sent by President Joe Biden, with the White House describing the trip as a “personal signal” of his commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and it has repeatedly warned Washington over its closer ties with Taipei. Tensions have been rising across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, with both China and the US stepping up military activities in disputed waters.

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