00:00Taiwan's Air Force reacts to a surprise Chinese military drill on Monday morning.
00:17China's People's Liberation Army has designated five restricted zones around Taiwan as part of
00:23drills it's calling Justice Mission 2025. They later added two more. Beijing says live fire
00:29exercises will start Tuesday morning in several areas around Taiwan including off the port of
00:35Geelong in the north. It's the fourth round of Chinese drills targeting Taiwan since President
00:40Lai Qingde took office last May and the sixth since then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited in
00:472022. Taiwan is condemning the move as an irrational provocation.
00:59China's Foreign Ministry said that it is resolute in its determination to defend national sovereignty
01:15and any act of provocation regarding Taiwan would be met with a firm counter-attack. This comes a day
01:22after Lai called for increased investment in defense amid rising threats from China during
01:27a TV interview.
01:42Taipei Mayor Jiang Wan-an also condemned the drills after returning from the Shanghai Taipei City Forum,
01:48one of the only channels that currently exists for cross-strait communication.
01:59Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which governs relations with China,
02:03said that the surprise drills right after the Twin Cities Forum run counter to the spirit of peace
02:08through dialogue that the meeting promoted, saying the Chinese Communist Party proclaims both sides of
02:13the strait belong to one family, but they point their swords at Taiwan. The latest drills come amid rising
02:19regional tensions between China and Japan, and just days after the U.S. announced its biggest ever weapons
02:26deal for Taiwan. With Beijing once again using military exercises to push its claim over Taiwan,
02:32Taipei will have to find ways to respond to the growing pressure.
02:35Hank Xu, Alex Chen, Larry Isiano, and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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