Beijing (AFP) - China kicked off a second day of live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, aimed at simulating a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets.

The two-day war games, code-named “Justice Mission 2025”, began Monday and were slammed by Taipei as “military intimidation”.

China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has refused to rule out military action to seize the island democracy.

AFP journalists in Pingtan – a Chinese island that is the closest point to Taiwan’s main island – saw a volley of rockets blast into the air on Tuesday morning at around 9:00 am (0100 GMT), leaving trails of white smoke.

At least 10 rockets were launched, seconds apart from one another, each sending a booming sound reverberating throughout Pingtan as they soared across the sky.

Tourists rushed towards wooden barricades overlooking the sea, whipping out their phones to snap photos and videos of the rockets.

Shortly after, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement: “At 9:00 am, December 30, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island and achieved desired effects.”

The latest show of force follows a bumper round of arms sales to Taipei by the United States – Taiwan’s main security backer – and comments from Japan’s prime minister that the use of force against Taiwan could warrant a military response from Tokyo.

China’s top diplomat said Tuesday in Beijing that China would “forcefully counter” large-scale US weapons sales to Taiwan.

“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must of course, resolutely oppose and forcefully counter them,” foreign minister Wang Yi said in a speech.

He added that any attempt to obstruct China’s unification with Taiwan “will inevitably end in failure”.

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te vowed Tuesday in a Facebook post that the territory would not be “escalating the conflict” or provoke disputes.

His office said a day earlier that China had shown a “disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries”.

- ‘Live-fire training’ -

China said on Tuesday morning it had deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters and bombers “to conduct drills on subjects of identification and verification, warning and expulsion, simulated strikes, assault on maritime targets, as well as anti-air and anti-submarine operations”.

The statement from the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercises in the waters to the north and south of the Taiwan Island “tested capabilities of sea-air coordination and integrated blockade and control”.

On Monday military spokesman Shi Yi said the drills were “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces, and… a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity”.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that a core theme of the exercises was a “blockade” of key Taiwanese ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south.

Chinese authorities published a map of five large zones around Taiwan where the war games would take place. They are due to finish at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday.

Taiwan said China’s designated exercise zones, some of which are within 12 nautical miles of its coast, have affected international shipping and aviation routes.

The island’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it had detected 130 Chinese military aircraft near the island in a 24-hour period, as well as 14 Chinese navy ships and eight unspecified government vessels in the 24 hours ending 6:00 am (2200 GMT on Monday).

The drills by China’s ruling Communist Party “further confirm its nature as an aggressor, making it the greatest destroyer of peace”, Taipei’s defence ministry said.

- ‘Stern warning’ -

Beijing’s military released a poster about Tuesday’s drills showing muscular arms – tattooed in China flags – gripping hammers and beating the north and south of Taiwan island.

China’s military last held large-scale drills involving live firing around Taiwan in April – surprise manoeuvres condemned by Taipei.

Beijing said this month it would take “resolute and forceful measures” to safeguard its territory after Taiwan said the United States had approved a major $11 billion arms sale.

It announced fresh sanctions on 20 American defence companies last week, although they appeared to have little or no business in China.

On Monday afternoon, AFP reporters in Pingtan saw two fighter jets soaring across the sky and a Chinese military vessel in the distance.

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