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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Benjamin Lynch

Chinese tanks seen rolling on packed beaches with war fears over Taiwan boiling over

Emerging footage from China appears to show tanks and missiles massing on a public beach as tensions over the situation with the US and Taiwan rise.

The concerning video shows the military equipment along with soldiers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) heading towards Pingtan Island as China flexes its military muscles.

Taiwan's presidential office has also been hit by a cyber attack.

Further inland, type 63A amphibious tanks were seen rumbling down the Fujian city highways. Tawain is a mere 100 miles away from Fujian on the east coast of mainland China.

This morning, clips recorded in Xiamen, a coastal city facing Taiwan, show trains carrying military equipment, naval vessels and armoured trucks lining the roads.

Startled holidaymakers watched as tanks rolled past them (Twitter)

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has become infuriated by the visit of top US official Speaker Nancy Pelosi and has begun flying jets close to Taiwan's maritime border.

While the trip is not under the orders of President Joe Biden - Pelosi is there representing Congress - the CCP is likely to view the visit as a violation of the "One China" policy.

Only a handful of countries around the world recognise the independence of Taiwan and doing so means breaking off ties with the mainland state, the People's Republic of China.

Countries like the US and UK have only informal ties with Taiwan and while the US insists it respects the One China rule, it recently made a policy change regarding the military defence of Taiwan.

China views reunification with Taiwan as a priority and has suggested it may use military force to take over the island in the future.

Biden, moving away from the previous policy of "strategic ambiguity," said: "That's the commitment we made. We agree with a One China policy. We've signed on to it and all the intended agreements were made from there.

Pelosi's visit has upset the CCP (REUTERS)

"But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just not appropriate."

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: "We once again sternly warn the US side that China stands at the ready and the Chinese People's Liberation Army will never sit idly by."

A nationalist government fled to Taiwan in 1949 when the CCP took control of the mainland after a civil war and has self-governed ever since.

Following an economic boom and reforms that led to democracy in the country, th country that calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), has a military of its own.

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