Taiwan deploys Sky Bow III missiles to deter China's latest military threat

Amid growing tension between Taiwan and China, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has again conducted a military exercise in the south-west region of Taiwan. According to the statement released by the PLA on Monday, the Eastern Theater Command-- which led the military drill-- said that the exercises were held between May 6-8 both at sea and in the airspace. "The purpose of the military drills was to increase the combat capability of various branches of the Chinese armed forces in joint operations," read the statement.

Meanwhile, giving details about the recent drill, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said that the PLA used fighter jets, Chinese bombers and anti-submarine during the military exercise. According to a report by Taiwan News, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has deployed Sky Bow III missiles, which have a range of 200 kilometres, in response to the threat of the Chinese military in eastern Taiwan. "All F-16V fighter jets will be deployed at Taitung's Chihang Base and a portion of Taiwan's Hsiung Feng III and Harpoon missiles will also be moved to the east, as per the Taiwan MoD.

Taiwan-China tensions rise

Tensions between both the countries increased multiple folds, with Chinese President Xi Jinping pledging to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowing to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island. Taiwan, home to 23.6 million people, split from China during a civil war that led to the Communist Party taking control of the mainland in 1949. Despite this, Beijing violated Taiwan's border claiming full sovereignty over Taiwan, even though the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. The Communist government, on several occasions, stepped up military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers its own territory, under the One China policy.                                                 

Image: AP