News - World: China has launched military drills around Taiwan in what it described as a "stern warning" to the self-ruled island following a visit to the US of Taipei's vice president William Lai.

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on Saturday that it is carrying out joint naval and air combat readiness patrols around Taiwan.

“The patrols and exercises are meant to train the coordination of military vessels and airplanes and their ability to seize control of air and sea spaces,” PLA spokesman Shi Yi said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Shi went on to say that the drills are meant to test the armed forces’ “ability to fight in real combat conditions,” adding that they serve “as a stern warning to the collusion of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists with foreign elements and their provocations.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry strongly condemned China’s military exercises near the island, saying it would dispatch "appropriate forces" to respond "with practical actions".

"Conducting a military exercise this time under a pretext not only does not help the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also highlights (China's) militaristic mentality and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion," it claimed in a statement.

The latest drills came after Beijing voiced anger over Lai’s stopover in the US, vowing to take "resolute measures... to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Lai, who is the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential election next year, stopped in New York last Saturday and returned via San Francisco on a trip to Paraguay.

In a statement at the time, China’s Foreign Ministry said it was opposed to any form of a visit by “Taiwan independence separatists” to the US.

“Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through,” the ministry said.

China has sovereignty over Taipei, and under the internationally-recognized “one-China” policy, nearly all countries recognize that sovereignty, meaning that they would not establish diplomatic contact with its secessionist government.

The US, too, professes adherence to the principle, but in violation of its own stated policy and in an attempt to irritate Beijing, Washington courts the secessionist government in Taipei, supports its anti-China position, and supplies it with massive amounts of armaments.

China describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the US, and the topic remains a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

Last August, China deployed warships, missiles, and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years, following a trip to the island by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

Source: Press TV