Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, detested by Beijing, vowed on Tuesday "to prepare for war to avoid war" and bolster the island's economic resilience.
That morning, China sent several "armoured vehicles" into waters off southern Fujian, the eastern Chinese province closest to Taiwan, CCTV said.
Footage of the drills released by the broadcaster's military outlet showed several camouflage-patterned tanks pushing off a sandy bank into the ocean.
Soldiers in orange life vests drove the tanks around floating obstacles, the roughly minute-long montage showed, backed by an operatic instrumental score.
"Soldier is our identity, training is our daily routine," said one member of the Chinese brigade, adding: "We are always ready to fight."
Sets of high-rises could be seen in the background of at least two frames.
China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it, has held several rounds of large-scale military drills around the island since Lai took office.
Taiwan's defence ministry said Wednesday it had detected 15 aircraft and eight vessels of the People's Liberation Army operating around the island in the last 24 hours.
Marking the anniversary, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office also slammed Lai's "separatist position" that promoted "economic decoupling" across the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing was "willing to engage in dialogue" with Taipei but on condition that it accepts "the one-China principle", spokesperson Chen Binhua said, referring to its policy that states Taiwan is part of China.
Taiwan's Lai said Tuesday there was room for communication with Beijing if there was "parity and dignity".
China slams 'separatist' Taiwan leader on one year in office: state media
Beijing (AFP) May 20, 2025 -
China slammed Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday for his "separatist position" promoting independence, calling it "doomed to fail", state broadcaster CCTV said.
"The recent speeches of the leader of the Taiwan region... continue to adhere to the separatist position of 'Taiwan independence'," Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said according to CCTV.
Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, spoke on Tuesday of the need "to prepare for war to avoid war" and bolster the island's economic resilience.
"Peace is priceless and there are no winners in war," Lai said in a speech marking his first year in office.
But he added "we cannot have illusions" and vowed "to strengthen our national defence capabilities".
China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, has threatened to to annex it by force and has held several rounds of large-scale military drills around the island since Lai took office.
Lai insisted in his speech that Taiwan was "willing" to communicate with Beijing if there was "parity and dignity".
China said Tuesday it was "willing to engage in dialogue" with Taiwan -- with conditions.
"On the basis of the one-China principle, we are willing to engage in dialogue... on issues relevant to promoting the reunification of the motherland," Beijing's spokesperson Chen said.
He also warned against Lai's "two-faced approach" that promoted "economic decoupling" across the Taiwan Strait.
Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
