China’s military says it carried out military exercises around the self-ruled island of Taiwan that focussed on land strikes and sea assaults, the second such drills in less than a month.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement yesterday that its forces had organised joint combat readiness patrols and actual combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.
The aim of the exercises was to test joint combat capabilities and resolutely counter the provocative actions of external forces and Taiwan independence separatist forces
Taiwan’s presidential office said China was making groundless accusations and strongly condemned the drills, saying the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the region were the common responsibility of both Taiwan and China.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said today that it had detected 57 Chinese military aircraft and four navy ships operating around the island over the previous 24 hours, sharing maps on Twitter to show their flight paths.
China carried out similar exercises late last month after the United States passed a defence spending bill that included support for Taiwan, with Taipei reporting that 43 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line.
Biden Makes First Visit To US-Mexico Border Since Taking Office
United States President Joe Biden has made his first visit to the US-Mexico border since taking office in January of 2022.
The hours-long visit yesterday followed a recently announced policy initiative by the Biden administration meant to address an increase in undocumented border crossings.
The politically charged issue has dogged the Democratic president since taking office, with Republican critics charging the administration has been too lenient, and rights groups charging the newly announced measures will put asylum seekers’ lives at risk.
During the visit, Biden watched as border officers in El Paso demonstrated how they search vehicles for drugs, money and other contraband.
He later inspected a section of the tall fencing along the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.
Last week, the Biden administration unveiled new immigration rules it anticipates will substantially reduce the number of people seeking to cross the southern border
