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Military drills

Chinese army completes major drills near Taiwan

The drills, held on October 14, came in response to Taiwanese administration head Lai Ching-te’s October 10 statement that Taipei would defend its "state sovereignty"

BEIJING, October 14. /TASS/. China has completed the Joint Sword-2024B exercise near Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said.

According to a statement on the WeChat social media platform, the large-scale drills made it possible "to fully test" the joint operation capabilities of Chinese troops. The Eastern Theater Command said that its troops would always stay on high alert, continue training efforts, and "inflict a decisive defeat on the separatists seeking the so-called Taiwan independence."

The drills, held on October 14, came in response to Taiwanese administration head Lai Ching-te’s October 10 statement that Taipei would defend its "state sovereignty." Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning after that reiterated that Taiwan was a part of China, and would never be an independent country.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Beijing considers the island to be one of its provinces.

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