China has launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan in what Beijing described as a warning to “Taiwan independence forces”. The exercises follow a speech last week by the self-governing island’s president Lai Ching-te declaring that the People’s Republic of China had no right to represent Taiwan.
The Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published a map showing nine areas around Taiwan where the drills were taking place. Li Xi, a spokesperson for the theatre command, said the drills combined operations by air and sea forces to simulate the blockading and besieging of ports and other key targets.
“The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity,” he said.
The drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024B, follow similar exercises in response to Mr Lai’s inauguration last May, which were called Joint Sword-2024A. Those exercises did not involve live-fire drills or the imposition of no-fly areas and Beijing has not indicated that the current drills will be different.
When former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, Beijing responded with military exercises that saw the island encircled and included the firing of missiles over it. The US warned Taipei that Mr Lai’s speech was likely to trigger a display of military strength from Beijing but Washington on Monday condemned the drills.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, which it has pledged to reunify, preferably by peaceful means but without ruling out the use of force. The US and the European Union, in common with almost all United Nations member-states, recognise Beijing as the sole government of China but have warned against any coercive action against Taiwan.
The US supplies weapons to Taiwan, which has been governed since 2016 by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which Beijing views as separatists determined to declare the island independent. Mr Lai, who was elected president last January, has used more confrontational rhetoric than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who sought to reassure Beijing even as she promoted stronger ties with Washington and increased defence spending.
In his speech marking the anniversary of the start of the revolution against the Qing dynasty in 1911 that led to the foundation of the Republic of China, Mr Lai said that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China should have equal status.
“The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. On this land, democracy and freedom are growing and thriving. The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan,” he said.
