China fires rockets around Taiwan

CHINA launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels around Taiwan yesterday for a second day of live-fire drills aimed at simulating a blockade of the selfruled island's key ports and assaults on maritime targets.

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The two-day war games, codenamed "Justice Mission 2025", began Monday and were slammed by Taipei as "highly provocative and reckless".

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

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 yesterday at around 9am, leaving trails of white smoke.

At least 10 rockets were launched in quick succession, 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.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement shortly after that it had "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 US - 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.