PLA continues military exercises surrounding Taiwan
The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army on Friday continued joint drills surrounding Taiwan Island.  Integrated operations inside and outside the island chain are being conducted to test the command's capabilities to jointly take control of battlefield and launch joint strikes, and to seize control of crucial areas, according to Li Xi, spokesperson for the theatre command.  A coast guard fleet conducted law-enforcement drills in the waters east of the island. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the drills focused on subjects including verification and identification as well as warning and expulsion to test the capabilities of joint maritime patrol and emergency response. China said the two-day military exercises, codenamed Joint Sword-2024A, were launched to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and strongly punish separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence".  At a Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing, spokesman Wang Wenbin said "Taiwan independence" is a dead end and China will never waver in its resolve to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (Xinhua)