China calls Taiwan president ‘parasite’ and launches large-scale military drills around island

China’s military has said it’s begun joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan. It said the exercises were intended to “serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence”, and called the self-governed island’s president a “parasite”. China considers Taiwan to be its own territory and has threatened to use force to gain control. Its military released a poster entitled “Closing In”, showing Chinese ships and fighter jets circling the island and the words “sinister moves of Taiwan separatists courting disaster upon themselves”. Image: China released a poster entitled ‘Closing In’. Pic: Eastern Theatre Command It…