‘Aerospace activity’: China bans ships from sailing near Taiwan on Sunday | World News

Beijing: China on Sunday banned ships from entering regional areas near self-governing Taiwan due to falling rocket debris, amid just-concluded large-scale exercises and Chinese troops continuing to patrol the island, Taiwan’s maritime ministry announced Thursday.

Chinese authorities released no details on Sunday of an operation that would disrupt international shipping traffic, and Taiwan authorities said as many as 33 flights could also be affected by the ban.

The sea, about 160 kilometers from Taiwan’s capital Taipei, will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Maritime Safety Administration of eastern China’s Fujian province said on Thursday, adding that ships would be “off-limits” during the closure.

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday declined to provide more information, including whether a “no-fly zone” would be enforced, and spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing to refer to “competent authorities”.

Reports from Taiwan said on Wednesday that China had scaled back plans to impose a no-fly zone around the island after Taipei complained that flight safety was at risk.

“China initially intends to use the zone for ‘aerospace activities’ from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over three days next week, the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement in Taipei on Wednesday — just as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ended a major The military drill revolved around democracy after a few days,” Bloomberg reported.

It was only on Monday that Beijing announced an end to three days of military exercises surrounding Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory and has vowed to merge it with the mainland by force if necessary.

The Joint Sword exercise was a response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States last week, where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a group of bipartisan lawmakers.

The round-the-island exercise has ended, but routine patrols and equipment testing by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) have continued, according to Chinese state media.

Several Chinese warships affiliated with the Chinese Navy’s Eastern Theater Command continued on Tuesday to “conduct actual combat exercises in waters around the island of Taiwan” to test command capabilities and the performance of weapons and equipment, according to the Global Times, an official tabloid.