Today, Monday, Beijing announced the organization of combat military exercises in the sea and air fields around the island of Taiwan, while Taiwan confirmed that Chinese planes crossed the line separating the two countries.

The Chinese military indicated that the exercises, which are the second in one month, aim to resolutely counter what it described as the "provocative actions of external forces and separatist forces in Taiwan".

For his part, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the military maneuvers near Taiwan aim to test the combat capabilities of his country's forces in the face of what he described as "collusion and provocation by external forces and separatists in Taiwan."

On the other hand, the Taiwanese army confirmed that 28 Chinese aircraft crossed the dividing line of the Taiwan Strait during the past 24 hours.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said that the monitoring of Chinese aircraft and ships around the island has become common recently.

The ministry stressed that Taiwan does not seek escalation or conflict, but will maintain Taiwan's sovereignty.

The ministry said Taiwan responded by deploying ships, aircraft and ground-based missile systems, in addition to issuing radio warnings.

#China says it carried out more military drills around Taiwan.

The latest Chinese drills around #Taiwan are the second major military exercises in less than a month.

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- GAROWE ONLINE (@GaroweOnline) January 9, 2023

Continuous incursions

China has made regular incursions into waters and airspace near Taiwan over the past three years.

China regards Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Tensions between China and Taiwan began following the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, and China responded to that visit by conducting the largest war games near Taiwan last August.

US President Joe Biden angered China in late May when he said that his country would not hesitate to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if China launched a military attack against it.

But the next day, Biden returned and confirmed that his country's policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding this file had not changed, and it is a policy based on diplomatic recognition of the Chinese mainland and a commitment at the same time to supplying weapons to Taiwan to defend itself.