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China, Taiwan play high-seas ‘cat and mouse’ as drills wrap up
China is set to conclude the unprecedented military exercises it launched in response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
(Al Jazeera)Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high-seas “cat and mouse” on Sunday, according to a report, as Beijing wrapped up four days of unprecedented military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.The air and naval drills were launched in response to a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and involved test launches of ballistic missiles over the island’s capital for the first time.
China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory, also cut off communication links with Washington.The Reuters news agency, citing a person with knowledge of the matter, said some 10 warships each from China and Taiwan sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line, the unofficial buffer separating the two sides.
As Chinese forces “pressed” the line, the Taiwan side stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross, the person told the media.
“The two sides are showing restraint,” the person said, describing the manoeuvres as high seas “cat and mouse”. “One side tries to cross, and the other stands in the way and forces them to a more disadvantaged position and eventually return to the other side.”
The island’s defence ministry said in a statement that multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy.It said its forces scrambled jets to warn away 20 Chinese aircraft on Saturday, including 14 that crossed the median line. It also detected 14 Chinese ships conducting activity around the Taiwan Strait. It added that its shore-based anti-ship missiles and its Patriot surface-to-air missiles were on standby.
The Chinese exercises, centred on six locations around the island that China claims as its own, began on Thursday and are scheduled to last until midday on Sunday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last week. China’s military said on Saturday the exercises, north, southwest and east of Taiwan, had a focus on land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.
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Sun directly overhead Hatthikuchchi, Kalankuttiya, Halmillewa, Ipalogama, Palugaswewa and Habarana at about 12:11 noon. today [10]
On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 14th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (10th) are Hatthikuchchi, Kalankuttiya, Halmillewa, Ipalogama, Palugaswewa and Habarana at about 12:11 noon.
Signs are clear that the local government (LG) elections, originally scheduled for 06 May, will have to be held on a staggered basis, as nomination lists in respect of about 200 out of 339 LG institutions have been challenged before the Court of Appeal, according to sources.
Those who have filed cases in the Court of Appeal seek writs against holding the elections. The final date for filing cases is 21 April.
By yesterday only 113, out of 339 local government bodies, had been cleared for the 06 May elections, with no rejections of nomination lists, or objections, sources said. The nomination lists for 226 local government bodies have been rejected, and candidates on these rejected lists are entitled to file cases against the Election Commission (EC) until 21 April.
The Court of Appeal (CA) has ordered that some of the lists rejected by the Election Commission be accepted. However, the EC is planning to challenge all CA orders before the Supreme Court.
When contacted for comment, Director General of the Election Commission, Saman Sri Ratnayake, told The Island that all arrangements had been made to hold the elections on 06 May, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 2017.
“We will hold elections to the local government bodies for which there are no legal barriers, and this will depend on the final decision of the courts,” Ratnayake said, adding that elections to other local government bodies would be held on later dates.
By Saman Indrajith
Sri Lanka and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence ties and exploring new avenues for cooperation in areas such as maritime domain awareness (MDA), training exchanges and capacity-building initiatives.
A number of key matters of mutual interest, particularly in the area of defence and security cooperation were deliberated when the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekara at his office in Colombo on Tuesday (April 8).
The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The Deputy Minister has expressed his appreciation for Australia’s continued support in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and defence capabilities.
Highlighting a recent example of this collaboration, Major General Jayasekara acknowledged the significant contribution made by the Australian government through the donation of a state-of-the-art Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder to the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS). He noted that this advanced equipment has brought a transformative enhancement to Sri Lanka’s capacity for surveying harbours, coastal areas and strategic waterways, thereby contributing to both national security and regional maritime stability, the statement added.
Sun directly overhead Hatthikuchchi, Kalankuttiya, Halmillewa, Ipalogama, Palugaswewa and Habarana at about 12:11 noon. today [10]
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