Warplanes from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army conduct operations during joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island on August 7, 2022. PHOTO XINHUA The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army will organize regular combat patrols in the Taiwan region and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity after successfully completing its training exercises around Taiwan, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the theater command, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The recent military drills in the oceans and airspace around the Taiwan island have achieved their mission objectives and effectively tested the theater command's joint combat capability, he said.
He said that the theater command will keep a close eye on the situation in the Taiwan Straits and will continue its military training and war preparation efforts. At the same time, it will organize regular combat readiness patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Straits, Shi said.
On August 2, the command began organizing drills around Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived on the island.
The command launched multiple types of conventional missiles targeting designated maritime areas to the east of Taiwan Island while the army conducted precision strikes on specific areas in the eastern part of the Taiwan Straits, according to Shi.
Over the past few days, troops from the Army, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force and Logistic Support Force conducted joint exercises and training in the waters and airspace off the northern, southwestern and southeastern coasts of the island, including operations of joint blockade, airspace control, joint anti-submarine drill, and integrated logistics and support.
Shi said that the armed forces' integrated combat ability has been improved and their readiness in contingency response has been tested.
In the operations new armaments including stealth fighters, multiple launch rocket systems and YYY 20 refueling aircraft were applied.