BEIJING, Nov. 9 -- “The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command conducted combined war-preparedness cordon and patrol in the Taiwan Strait on November 9, in order to test and improve the combat effectiveness of the troops of multiple services and arms in joint operations,” said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command in a written statement released on Tuesday.
Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory, the military operation conducted by the Eastern Theater Command forces is in response to the erroneous words and deeds of relevant countries on the Taiwan question and acts of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, said Shi, adding that the operation is a necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty.
Troops assigned to the Theater Command have maintained a state of high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely fight back against all provocative acts that jeopardize China's core interests and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and firmly defend China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Shi stressed.