China stated on Thursday that military exercises being held around Taiwan were as a “serious warning” to “separatists” on the island, threatening they would end “in bloodshed.”
The Chinese military's Eastern Command said in a statement that, in addition to testing its forces' capabilities, the land, sea and air exercises were "also a powerful punishment for the separatist forces seeking ‘independence’ and a serious warning to external forces for interference and provocation."
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin declared, for his part, that “all separatist forces advocating for Taiwan’s independence will meet with bloodshed and shattered heads at the historical event of China’s complete reunification.”
Beijing sees Taiwan as one of the last provinces yet to be reintegrated with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
Taiwan’s coastguard revealed earlier in the day that its fleet had been deployed at sea to “firmly” defend the island’s sovereignty. This official declaration was in response to China’s prior announcement of military exercises around Taiwan.
China’s military manoeuvres came just days after the swearing in of Taiwan's new pro-U.S. president, Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing accused of escalating tensions in his inaugural address
