Chilling map sparks WW3 fears as China launch navy drills reducing Taiwan off
Beijing is conducting two days of drills using live ammunition, jets and warships to practise the blockade of two key ports, though to be a response to Taiwan’s $11 billion arms deal with the US
This chilling map shows how dangerously close World War 3 may be as China continues its terrifying military drills off the coast of Taiwan – and warned “those plotting independence will be annihilated.”
The two-day war games began on Monday and continued on Tuesday when 27 rocket launchers were fired from the South China Sea and 71 Chinese military planes were detected by Taiwan.
And a map released by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) shows the blockade made up its 14 warships and 14 coastguard vessels operating in seven areas marked out for the exercise by China’s eastern military command.
It comes after at least 89 jets were deployed around the island at the start of “Justice Mission 2025” drills on Monday, blocking the self-ruled island’s key ports.
Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command – which is in charge of the Taiwan Strait – described the military exercise as a “shield of justice” in a post on the nation’s social media platform Weibo.
And they said in a chilling follow up statement: “All those plotting independence will be annihilated upon encountering the shield!”
A volley of rockets were reported to be seen blasting into the air from the Chinese island of Pingtan – the closest point to Taiwan’s main island – on Tuesday morning local time, leaving trails of white smoke.
At least 10 rockets were launched, seconds apart from one another, each sending a booming sound reverberating throughout Pingtan as they soared across the sky.
Shortly after, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement: “At 9am, December 30, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island and achieved desired effects.”
Spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, said any attempts to stop its unification with Taiwan were “doomed to fail.”
Beijing’s military released a poster about Tuesday’s drills showing muscular arms – tattooed in Chinese flags – gripping hammers and beating the north and south of Taiwan island.
Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, but Beijing has threatened to annex it by force on several occasions in recent months. The military last held large-scale drills involving live firing around Taiwan in April, surprise manoeuvres that were condemned by Taipei.
The drills come just weeks after the Taiwan government issued a handbook on what to do in the event of a Chinese invasion.
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