China Military Simulates Beach Assault

Chinese soldiers conduct military landing drills amid South China tensions with Taiwan.

QUICK FACTS:
  • The Chinese Navy released footage of a simulated beach assault.
  • The video was posted to Twitter by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) state-run media outlet Global Times.
  • The exercises took place in waters off the eastern province of Fujian near Taiwan, adding to China’s aggression toward the smaller East Asian country.
  • According to the Global Times, Friday’s amphibious landing exercises should be seen as a warning to the U.S. as well as “Taiwan secessionists.”
  • It is likely more drills will be staged in the future, the report said.
SIMILAR FOOTAGE FROM NOV 2020:
WHAT THE CHINA-BACKED ‘GLOBAL TIMES’ IS SAYING:
  • “The People’s Liberation Army conducted intensive military exercises in the Taiwan Straits [sic] region recently,” the Global Times said in a recent editorial.
  • The Global Times also said that “One of the purposes was to deal with challenges during the U.S. government transition. Once the U.S. and Taiwan island touch the bottom line, the mainland will fight a war that it is fully prepared for.”
  • The Beijing-controlled newspaper blamed “[t]he Trump administration” for “greatly sabotaged China-US relations, creating a countercurrent in which the US government plays a leading role in confronting China.”
  • “China is able to deal with various challenges,” the piece concluded.
BACKGROUND:
  • The war games come a day after a second U.S. military aircraft landed on Taiwan in less than two months, according to Bloomberg.
  • China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland one day. Taiwan disagrees and desires independence from mainland China.
  • Britannica notes that the Chinese government in Beijing “has maintained that it has jurisdiction over Taiwan,” pushing the so-called “One China policy.” Britannica also notes that “[t]here has been no agreement, however, on how or when, if ever, the two entities will be reunified.”
  • The drills followed the Chinese defense ministry’s warning on Thursday that foreign planes entering the country’s airspace without its approval would lead to “serious consequences.”
  • Bloomberg also notes that a U.S. government aircraft landed at Taipei airport Thursday morning for about half an hour, United Daily News reported.
  • China has threatened nuclear war with the U.S.
  • A Japanese State Defense Minister recently warned the U.S. of a “Pearl Harbor” style attack from China.

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