Riyaz ul Khaliq
October 21, 2021•Update: October 21, 2021
ISTANBUL
China has begun two simultaneous military exercises in the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) held live-fire training in waters of the South China Sea on Wednesday.
It said the PLA will carry out drills in several sea areas of China, barring ships from entering these areas.
Two notices issued by China’s Dalian Maritime Safety Administration in northeast China’s Liaoning province said the PLA will hold the training until Oct. 25.
The simultaneous military exercises come as China accused the US and Canada of “seriously jeopardizing peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait after they sent warships through the narrow waterway last week.
Beijing said Washington and Ottawa “made provocations with odious nature and stirred up troubles in cahoots, which seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The US Navy destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105) and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Winnipeg sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Oct. 15.
Beijing's ire towards the two warships’ voyage close to its southeastern borders comes amid rising tensions over Taiwan.
China has sent warplanes nearly 150 times into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since early this month.
The ADIZ is a buffer zone outside a country's airspace, where it has the right to ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.
China claims Taiwan as a “breakaway province” while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949 and has diplomatic relations with at least 15 countries.
