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STORY: Taiwan mobilized its military on Thursday and said it was confident it could protect the island. That’s after China the same morning started two days of what its military called ‘punishment’ drills around Taiwan– which it said were both a response to "separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces" as well as a "stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces." The exercises come just three days after Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan's new president, a man Beijing detests as a ‘separatist.’ China’s military said the drills involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force are intended to test its forces' "joint real combat capabilities." Chinese state media said dozens of fighter jets carrying live missiles were sent out, along with warships, and conducted mock strikes on high-value military targets. They published a map of the drill zones, in five areas all around Taiwan and the islands Taiwan controls near the Chinese coast. Taiwanese officials told Reuters those areas were outside its contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles from the main island's coast. Taiwan's defense ministry said that it had dispatched forces to areas around the island, and the presidential office condemned what it called China’s "unilateral military provocations." Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China, but been rebuffed. He rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims over the island, and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. China last staged large-scale war games near Taiwan in 2022 and 2023. It again ramped up military pressure on the island in the lead-up to Lai’s inauguration, with fighter jets staging mock attacks on foreign vessels, while ships and planes encroached close to the island.Unlike similar exercises conducted in the past, China's military has classified this latest round of drills in a way that leaves room for potential follow-ups.
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