China Holds 9-Hour Aerial Bombing Drill Following US-Japan’s Joint Statement On Taiwan

• China conducted a 9-hour aerial bombardment exercise as a response to the joint statement by the United States and Japan on Taiwan.
• The two countries emphasized the importance of “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
• Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry of Beijing said that the US-Japan statement “severely violates basic norms governing international relations.”

Following a joint statement on Taiwan by the United States and Japan, China held an aerial-bombing drill for 9 hours. According to reports, dozens of H-6K strategic bombers were deployed by the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army for the large-scale, live-fire drill.

The bombers reportedly launched in groups from an eastern China military airport as they went to an “unknown shooting range,” said a report by state-owned China Central Television (CCTV).

Moreover, we learn that the bombers – which have a 15-tonnes load capacity each – did electronic countermeasure practices using air-defence missile units. They later dropped free-fall aerial bombs during the drill.

CCTV further reported:

“The long hours, high-intensity, day-night training has quickly increased the [air force’s] assault abilities and improved actual combat capabilities.”

While the report didn’t specify the drill’s location, a source said that the H-6Ks dropped the bombs in the province of Qinghai.

“It’s a large-scale drill, with many bombs being dropped. There are no big shooting ranges in the eastern and southern theatre commands,” mentioned the unnamed source. “The PLA doesn’t want to make undue provocations against Taiwan just yet, because peaceful means are still the best way to solve the Taiwan problem.”

The drill has been considered as a response after US and Japanese officials issued a joint statement, with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joe Biden declaring they “underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.”

Meanwhile, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry slammed the statement saying the two countries “shared their concerns over Chinese activities that are inconsistent with the international rules-based order” and that their stance “severely violates basic norms governing international relations.”