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China has wrapped up its unprecedented four days of drills that showcased Beijing’s growing military prowess and determination to challenge any attempt to separate Taiwan from China after the controversial visit to the island last week by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

A Chinese state television commentator said the Chinese military would now conduct “regular” drills on the Taiwan side of the line, saying the “historic task” of China’s “reunification” could be realised.

The series of drills, which began last Thursday, were carried out in response to a provocative visit by the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Beijing regards Taiwan as a part of China’s own territory and it responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, for the first time.

China also halted some ties with the US, including cancelling a number of efforts to keep communication channels open between military commanders and suspending bilateral collaborations on the climate crisis.

The People’s Liberation Army said its drills focused on testing China’s long-range air and ground strikes.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected 66 Chinese air force planes and 14 Chinese warships conducting activities in and around the Taiwan strait yesterday.

The Chinese exercises, centred on six zones around the island, began last Thursday and were scheduled to last until midday yesterday.

China’s military said on Saturday it was conducting sea and air joint exercises north, south-west and east of Taiwan, with a focus on testing land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.

Lonnie D. Henley, a retired US intelligence officer and an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs in Washington DC, said while the operational activities the Chinese military is undertaking are routine features of their annual training cycle, the drills emphasised the PLA’s increasing ability to attack Taiwan and beyond.

“This is not at all to downplay the advances the PLA has made over the past several decades,” Henley said. “In a war fought close to the Chinese coast, the PLA could inflict serious harm on any opponent including the United States, and depending on the specific circumstances, might be able to prevail against Taiwan despite full US military intervention.”

Last Friday, China halted communication through various channels with the US as part of its response to Pelosi’s visit, including between military theatre commands and on climate change.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, accused China of taking “irresponsible” steps and moving away from prioritising peaceful resolution towards the use of force.

Pelosi, a long-time critic of China and a political ally of the US president, Joe Biden, arrived in Taiwan late on Tuesday on the highest-level visit to the island by an American official in a quarter of a century, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed unwavering US commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy. — Reuters