Japan and the U.S. have condemned large-scale Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, after Beijing wrapped up the drills late Monday with a vow never to renounce the use of force to take control of the island ¡ª a hint that more shows of force are to come.
The daylong Joint Sword-2024B exercises, which took place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan, were intended to serve as ¡°a stern warning¡± to ¡°separatist¡± forces, the Chinese military said.
China views democratic Taiwan as its ¡°core of core issues¡± and regards the island as a renegade province that must be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
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