In the large Chinese exercises that took place on Tuesday, units from the navy, air force, and army participated. The whole thing should be interpreted as a "sharp warning" towards Taiwan, stated the Chinese military's spokesperson Shi Yi.
According to Taiwan's defense department, 71 aircraft and 21 warships are participating in the Chinese exercise.
Provokes reactions
The US reacted both cautiously and with a mark on the military exercise. The White House called for "peace" and said that the US opposes all "unilateral attempts" in the controversial issue of Taiwan's status for China.
President Trump "emphasizes the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait", said his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
The EU was harsher in tone and accused China of fueling the already sharp tensions in the region, while a diplomatic effort was added from Brussels not to provoke Beijing.
We urge all parties to exercise restraint, said the spokesperson for foreign affairs, Anitta Hipper.
"Doomed to fail"
China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan in recent years and is conducting daily military flights that are perceived as provocations.
The government in Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China, but in practice, Taiwan has been self-governing and separate since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when rival governments took over in Beijing and Taipei.
China marked on Tuesday that Taiwan's independence is "doomed to fail".
The authorities' stubbornness regarding Taiwanese independence and their futile attempts to split the country from the outside by seeking independence are like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot, it is doomed to fail, said the foreign ministry's spokesperson Gui Jiakun.
