Second PLA exercises near Taiwan in month

The People's Liberation Army organized interservice combat exercises near Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, according to the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

In a brief statement on Monday, the command said that naval, air and missile forces took part in the three-day operation that was intended to verify and improve interservice combat capability. It did not give additional details.

This is the second joint operation conducted by the command near Taiwan in the past month.

On April 15, ships, fighter jets, bomber aircraft and other forces were sent to conduct combat patrols and assault exercises in the air and waters near Taiwan "in response to recent provocations by the United States surrounding the Taiwan question".

A US congressional delegation led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and a ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, paid an unannounced visit to Taiwan in mid-April and met with Taiwan leader, Tsai Ing-wen.