Beijing’s show of force
China launches major military exercise over Taiwan – “serious warning” and “punishment”
Fighter planes of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over Taiwan
© Li Bingyu/Xinhua/DPA
Shortly after the inauguration of the new president in Taiwan, China is rattling its sabers. The signal couldn’t be clearer.
A few days after the inauguration of the new president in Taiwan, China has announced a large-scale military exercise around the East Asian island republic. “This is also a harsh punishment for the separatist forces of an independence Taiwan and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces,” said spokesman for the East Division of the People’s Liberation Army, Marine Col. Li Xi, on Thursday. The army, navy, air force and the missile force would hold exercises on Thursday and Friday the strait between China and Taiwan (Taiwan Strait) and around Taiwan. The exercise is expected to be the largest in about a year.
According to the information, the military wants to train joint combat readiness on water and in the air as well as attacks on key targets. Ships and planes would approach Taiwan from the north and south for “patrols” and would also come close to several islands, such as the island of Kinmen, just a few kilometers from mainland China.
Taiwan reacts with regret and anger
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry condemned the military exercise as an “irrational provocation” that endangers peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The armed forces on land, sea and in the air were deployed to defend “freedom and democracy with practical actions,” Taipei said. The ministry did not provide any further details about the measures.
Presidential spokeswoman Karen Kuo said it was “regrettable” that China was engaging in “unilateral, provocative military behavior” that threatened Taiwan’s democracy and freedom as well as peace and stability in the region. “In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend democracy.”
US Indo-Pacific Command deputy commander Stephen Sklenka said Chinese military exercises were expected. “Just because we expect this behavior doesn’t mean we shouldn’t condemn it, and we must publicly condemn it.” The People’s Republic’s actions are “worrying”.
China’s message to Taiwan’s new president
The background to the exercise now announced is likely to be the inauguration of the newly elected Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday. His Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election in January and supports Taiwan’s independence. China had described Lai as a “dangerous separatist” who would bring “war and decline” to the island. At his inauguration on Monday, Lai said that Taiwan must demonstrate its “determination in defending the nation” “in the face of the many threats and infiltration attempts by China”.
The warning should also apply to Taiwan’s allies and in particular the USA, which has assured the island republic of support in the event of a defense and regularly supplies it with weapons, to the annoyance of Beijing.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, even though independent and democratically elected governments have been in power there for decades. The leadership in Beijing has already threatened several times to unite the island, which has a population of more than 23 million, and the mainland using coercive military force. In addition to regular military exercises, fighter jets fly to Taiwan almost daily to demonstrate the military might of the People’s Liberation Army.
Most recently, China announced similar military exercises around Taiwan in August 2023 after Lai, then vice president, stopped off in the US during a trip to Paraguay. In 2022, China conducted major military exercises after Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited Taiwan.