China holds day-long military drills surrounding Taiwan to 'warn separatists'
Beijing/Taipei, Oct 14: China on Monday conducted day-long large-scale military drills aimed at surrounding Taiwan by deploying an aircraft carrier group, besides army, navy, air force and missile forces, in an apparent response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's remarks that Beijing has no authority to represent Taipei.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Monday evening that it had wrapped up its blockade drills surrounding the island, fully testing the integrated joint operation capabilities of its troops.
The PLA has been periodically conducting such drills to showcase its military might.
Earlier, the PLA Eastern Theatre Command dispatched its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct joint military drills code-named "Joint Sword-2024B" in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island, Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson of the Command, said in a statement.
"The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of "Taiwan independence" forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding national sovereignty and national unity," Captain Li said.
He also said China's Liaoning aircraft carrier task group has been deployed to conduct joint drills with other forces of the PLA “in the waters and airspace to the east of Taiwan Island".
He said that the drills are to test the joint operation capabilities of all services and arms around the island.
The Chinese Defence Ministry said the drills focussing on key-port blockade, seizure of regional control, and assault on maritime and ground targets in areas to the north and south of Taiwan Island, are a test of the PLA troops' capabilities of multi-domain collaboration, systems confrontation and precision strikes on key targets.
The drills were in response to assertions by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in his speech on the National Day of Taiwan four days ago, asserting that the two sides “are not subordinate to each other” and Beijing had no authority to represent the island.
Lai, who has been firm in asserting Taiwan’s independence after his election in May, said the two sides of the strait should have equal status, and that he was committed to peace across the strait.
China claims the stringed island of Taiwan as part of its mainland and President Xi Jinping has been vocal in recent years to unify it with “motherland”.
In Taipei, the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has denounced China's military threats and urged Beijing to pull back and immediately cease its military provocations.
“MOFA solemnly denounces China and urges it to neither use false pretexts aimed at justifying disagreement and strife nor become a troublemaker that undermines regional peace and stability," it said.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said "Taiwan independence" is incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait, and the provocations of "Taiwan independence" separatist forces will inevitably be countered.
Asked about the PLA drills around Taiwan, Mao told a media briefing here that China has always been committed to maintaining regional peace and stability, which is evident to countries in the region.
Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is China's internal affair, which brooks no outside interference, Mao said.
About the US calls for restraint by China, she said if the United States truly cares about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the prosperity of the region, it should abide by the one-China principle and earnestly act on its leaders' commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence," stop arming Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signals to separatist forces of "Taiwan independence."
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Govt launches Haj Suvidha App 2.0 for ease of pilgrims
New Delhi, Nov 23: The Minority Affairs Ministry on Saturday launched the Haj Suvidha App 2.0 with the new version introducing key features such as air travel details, a navigation system with Mina maps, and medical history and health advisories for Indian pilgrims going on Haj.
The application was launched by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju after he inaugurated the Conference of Chairpersons of State and UT Haj Committees in the presence of Minister of State for Minority Affairs, George Kurian and Chairman of the Haj Committee of India Abdullahkutti, among others.
In his address, Rijiju noted that the Haj pilgrimage is the largest logistical operation undertaken annually by the government of India beyond its borders.
He emphasised that Haj has long been a cornerstone of the strong bilateral relationship between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Rijiju highlighted several significant reforms aimed at improving the pilgrimage experience, including the removal of the discretionary quota, the integration of technology through the Haj Suvidha App, and the provision of facilities for female pilgrims without Mehram.
Kurian spoke about the new measures being implemented for Haj 2025, designed to enhance the comfort and convenience of the Indian pilgrims.
Among the key initiatives, he mentioned the procurement of modern buildings with lifts not only in Aziziya but also in nearby areas close to the Haram.
Additionally, the latest model buses will be introduced for travel between Makkah, Madinah, and within the Mashaer region.
The conference, organised by the Haj Committee of India under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, also marked the launch of the Haj Suvidha App 2.0 by Rijiju.
Building on the success of the Haj Suvidha App 1.0 in 2024, the new version introduces key features such as the selection process, boarding pass and air travel details, a navigation system with Mina maps, and medical history and health advisories for Indian pilgrims.
The conference included discussions on stakeholder feedback, suggestions and preparations.
