According to information aggregation account @IntelCrab, China will conduct “live fire” drills that encircle the breakaway island from August 4. The account added: “These exercises will be conducted in close proximity to Taiwanese territorial waters.”
This comes as tensions around Taiwan reach one of their highest points for years.
China believes Taiwan to be part of the mainland, although Taipei has a democratically-elected government and considers itself separate.
Over the weekend, Beijing said it would conduct live-fire drills near Taiwan, specifically off the coast of the Pingtan Islands, Fujian province.
The short announcement on Saturday said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would be conducting the military exercises throughout the day, without disclosing further details.
The Chinese military then said it was “fully prepared for any eventuality”.
Taiwan, in turn, said it was ready to defend itself against any mainland Chinese military incursion, with the island’s defence ministry adding they were on high alert.
As Beijing warned against any ship movement in the area, Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a stark warning to US President Joe Biden over “external interference” between China and Taiwan.
Beijing cautioned against the visit to Taipei by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, telling the US they would “pay the price” for such a move.
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China, in a bristling response, heaped condemnation on the visit, adding it was damaging to Beijing’s relationship with Washington.
China’s foreign ministry said the trip “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously undermines the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations and sends a seriously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces”.
Under the ‘One China’ policy, the US officially recognises the Beiing government as legitimate.
However, Washington has maintained a less-formal but “robust” relationship with Taipei, placing importance on its democratically-elected government.
Russia backed China’s stance on Tuesday, with Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, calling the visit “provocative”.
He said: “Everything that relates to this tour, to the possible visit to Taiwan, is of course of provocative character.”
He added: “Here we are in absolute solidarity with China.”
