By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-16 08:23:57 | Updated at 2024-10-16 10:28:32
2 hours ago
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a coastal island just across the Taiwan Strait a day after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) wrapped up massive military drills around Taiwan.
Xi inspected Dongshan county in the southeastern province of Fujian on Tuesday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The Taiwan-facing island county has served as a regular base for PLA exercises in the past. According to the CCTV report on Wednesday, Xi inspected work on rural vitalisation, inheriting the Communist Party’s revolutionary tradition and protecting cultural heritage.
But the report did not say where Xi started his trip in Fujian or when he was due to leave the province.
Most domestic inspections by Xi usually feature a stop at a local PLA division. But it is unclear if he had done so or planned to do so on this trip.
On Monday evening, the PLA on wrapped up a 13-hour exercise encircling Taiwan, simulating a blockade. Dubbed “Joint Sword-2024B”, the drills focused on sea and air combat readiness patrols and the ability to blockade key ports.
