BEIJING, Aug. 17 -- On August 17, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted joint live-fire drills involving forces of multiple services including naval warships, anti-submarine aircraft and fighter jets in the sea and airspace surrounding the southwest and southeast of the Taiwan Island, in a bid to test the troops’ capability of integrative joint operations, Army Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said on a written statement on Tuesday.
Recently, Washington has frequently colluded with the island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, constantly making provocations and sending serious wrong signals, which has seriously violated China's sovereignty and undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits, and has become the biggest source of security risk in the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson slammed.
Shi said that the joint fire assault and other drills staged by the Eastern Theater Command troops are a necessary action to further safeguard China’s sovereignty under the current security situation in the Taiwan Straits, and also a solemn response to the interference of foreign forces and the provocation of “Taiwan independence” secessionists.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command will keep strengthening combat-readiness training, the spokesperson stressed, adding that the troops under the theater command have full determination and ability to repel all “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.