China says it has carried out naval and aerial military drills near Taiwan, in response to “external interference and provocations”.

Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent months, as a way of discouraging independence.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, and wants to eventually bring it under mainland control.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army says it dispatched warships, anti-submarine aircraft, and fighter jets on Tuesday to carry out live-fire drills.

An Army spokesperson says the exercises took place “in the surrounding sea and airspace in the southwest and southeast of Taiwan”. It’s unclear just how close to Taiwan the drills were.

China claims the latest exercise “is a necessary action based on the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait”.

Chinese state media’s warning to Taiwan

Tuesday’s drills follow the fall of Kabul, which led to Chinese state media claiming the United States will abandon Taiwan like Afghanistan.

“From what happened in Afghanistan, [Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party] should perceive that once a war breaks out in the Straits, the island’s defense will collapse in hours and the US military won’t come to help,” the editorial by the Global Times states.

The Global Times claims that “as a result, the DPP authorities will quickly surrender, while some high-level officials may flee by plane.”

Taiwan’s Premier today insisted that Taiwan would not collapse like Afghanistan in the event of an attack.

“We must guard this country and this land, and not be like certain people who always talk up the enemy’s prestige and talk down our resolve,” Premier Su Tseng-chang said.