Beijing say the drills are a “strong punishment” for “separatist acts,” three days after Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te was sworn in. Taiwan has condemned the “irrational provocations.”
Chinese naval vessels and military aircraft encircled Taiwan as Beijing conductedjoint military drills on Thursday following the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te.
In the past, Beijing has called Lai a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and decline” to the region.
What China said about the drills around Taiwan
The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command stated the drills involve the army, navy, air force, and rocket force in the Taiwan Strait and around Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin Islands.
The mock strikes also involved dozens of fighter jets carrying live missiles, and targeted high-value military assets, including ships and warplanes, Chinese military Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Naval Colonel Li Xi told CCTV.
The exercises, which will last until Friday, focus on joint sea-air combat readiness, precision strikes, and integrated operations to test real combat capabilities, Chinese state media Xinhua reported.
Li said the drills are a “strong punishment” for “separatist acts” three days after Lai was sworn in. He also called the drills “a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces,” Xinhua reported.
Chinese state media published a map showing five drill zones around Taiwan, but outside its contiguous zone.
Although the drills are short-term, their scope is significant, aiming to demonstrate China’s control over the seas and deter foreign intervention, experts said.
“The political signals here are greater than the military ones,” Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research, said.
How has Taiwan reacted to the Chinese drills?
Taiwan said it has mobilized sea, air and ground forces to in response to Beijing’s moves.
Taipei also condemned the drills, emphasizing its determination to defend its sovereignty.
The self-ruled island’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it “strongly condemned such irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability.”
The Defense Ministry’s statement said that “all officers and soldiers of the armed forces are prepared,” adding, “We uphold the strong will of ‘preparing for war, not asking for war, responding to war, and not avoiding war.’”
The president’s office called the drills “regrettable” and a threat to Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.
“In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend democracy,” presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
