By Cui Mingxuan, Guo Yuandan and Fan Lingzhi
BEIJING, March 22 (ChinaMil) -- "The aircraft carrier from the Chinese mainland is coming again," the Taiwan media exclaimed on Mar. 21 at a time when the situation in the Taiwan Strait is particularly sensitive due to the "Taiwan Travel Act."
Taiwan’s so-called "Defense Minister" Yen Teh-fa confirmed on Mar. 21 that the aircraft carrier Liaoning from the Chinese mainland entered the Taiwan Strait on Mar. 20. Taiwan’s so-called "Presidential Office" claimed that the Taiwan military's "various countermeasures are in place" and that the Taiwan people can rest assured.
Compared with Taiwan's excitement, Chinese mainlanders interviewed by the Global Times responded flatly. A person who did not wish to be identified told the Global Times on Mar. 21: "This is too normal. Is it really news?"
As for the timing of the appearance of the Liaoning aircraft carrier in the Taiwan Strait and the "Taiwan Travel Act", and whether it is a countermeasure taken by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the person stated that any party can speculate as to whether it is a countermeasure or not.
However, the Chinese mainland does not need to use any tricks to counter the "Taiwan Travel Act". The Chinese mainland has a lot of powerful countermeasures for the related parties that damage China's core interests. The Chinese mainland does not need to be sneaky, shy or secretive when it comes to countermeasures. Any party that damages China's core interests must weigh if they can afford to touch China's red line, said the person.
A military expert who wished to be anonymous said in an interview with the Global Times on Mar. 21 that it is not the first time the Liaoning aircraft carrier has conducted cross-sea training and the latest sailing is also a routine one.
The fact that the PLA did not issue any news the last two times means that this is a normal training and there was no need to announce it. At present, the cross-sea training of the aircraft carrier has been normalized, and Taiwan should adapt to it, said the expert.
As for the training content, the expert said that it includes verification of long-range carrier navigation capabilities and coordinated formation methods, and improvement of combat capability.
The expert believed that the cross-sea training of the Liaoning aircraft carrier aims to improve the capability to fight and defeat the hostile. Its main purpose is to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and unity. “It is a shock to the forces of ‘Taiwan independence’,” said the expert.
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