BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2023) The Taiwanese armed forces will work out the capability of withstanding the island's possible blockade during the Han Kuang two-stage military exercises that will be held from May 15-19 and July 24-28, the Taiwanese state media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's defense ministry.
The second stage includes combat shooting exercises to check the Taiwanese air forces' capability to maintain enough capacity level in case of a "full-scale invasion," as well as sea interception training to withstand the Chinese military "in an attempt to block the island," the Taiwanese Central news Agency (CNA) reported, citing the defense ministry's combat planning chief, Major General Lin Wen-huang.
The situation around Taiwan has recently escalated once again after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier in April, with Beijing starting massive three-day military exercises near the island in what it called a "warning" for Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
