World War 3: China threatens Taiwan INVASION with 'sacred mission' as missiles are fired
CHINA is threatening to invade Taiwan after Chinese aircrafts circled the self-ruled island showing Beijing's military power amid heightened World War 3.
China sends warning to Taiwan with live-fire military drills
World War 3 fears have been ramped up as China has been increasing the number of military exercises around Taiwan in the past year and has even flown bombers and other military aircraft around the island.
Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as a Chinese territory, has said that it would “defend the country's sovereign dignity” and would not give in to “threat or inducement of force”
China regularly calls Taiwan the most sensitive and important issue between it and the United States.
During the most recent military exercises, Chinese airforce said H-6K bombers had "recently" flown a patrol around Taiwan.
“The motherland is in our hearts, and the jewelled island is in the bosom of the motherland," an H-6K captain, Zhai Peisong, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Defending the beautiful rivers and mountains of the motherland is the sacred mission of air force pilots.”
The drills took place off the coast of the city of Quanzhou, in between two groups of islands close to China's coast that Taiwan has controlled since 1949.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry claimed two Chinese H-6K bombers had flown around the island on Wednesday afternoon, passing first through the Miyako Strait.
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Chinese state media said the military had also conducted live-fire military drills with helicopters along its southeast coast.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office said: “No force and no person should underestimate our resolute resolve and strong ability to defend the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said the military exercise amounted to "military intimidation".
The message from Chinese President Xi is that the South China Sea is China’s.
“The task for building a strong navy is urgent. We must strengthen through reform and technology and promote modernisation, to increase combat capacity and readiness,” he said.
China’s hostility to Taiwan has grown since pro-independence Tsai Ing-wen won a presidential election on the island in 2016.
China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wants to declare the island’s formal independence.
Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security.
Taiwan is well equipped with mostly US weapons and is pressing for more advanced equipment to deal with what it sees as rising threat from China.
Although the US does not have formal ties with Taiwan it is bound by law to help it defend itself and is its main source of arms.