A high-ranking security official from Taiwan explained to Reuters that Beijing’s forces are training for blockades of Taiwan’s ports in the north and south of the island, as well as international navigation routes and for repelling the arrival of foreign forces..
The Chinese military launched a new round of military maneuvers near Taiwan on Monday, stating that this serves as a warning against ’separatist actions by forces seeking Taiwan’s independence.’.
Taipei was already on alert following President Lai Ching-te’s National Day speech last week.Lai faced harsh condemnation from Beijing after asserting that China has no right to represent Taiwan, despite expressing openness to bilateral cooperation.
The Eastern Theater Command of China’s military announced that the exercises, labeled ’Joint Sword-2024B,’ are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and in areas north, south, and east of Taiwan.
’The exercise also serves as a severe warning against the separatist actions of independence forces from Taiwan.It is a legitimate and necessary operation to protect state sovereignty and national unity,’ a statement released in both Chinese and English stated.
The command did not specify when the exercises would conclude.
A senior security official from Taiwan, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, expressed that, in their view, China is training to blockade Taiwanese ports in the north and south of the island and international navigation routes, as well as to repel the arrival of foreign forces.
What the military maneuvers entail
The command released a map showing several areas around Taiwan where the exercises are taking place—two off the east coast of the island, three off the west coast, one to the north, and three around the islands controlled by Taiwan near the Chinese coast.
Chinese ships and aircraft are approaching Taiwan from ’different directions,’ focusing on combat-readiness patrols for maritime and aerial operations, blockading ports and key areas, attacking maritime and land targets, and ’establishing comprehensive superiority,’ the command stated.
A military announcement later confirmed that China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning and supporting vessels were also operating east of Taiwan.
However, no live-fire exercises or no-fly zones were announced.In 2022, shortly after the U.S.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China fired missiles over the island.
Chinese state media reported that Beijing’s forces conducted missile launch simulations, while fighter jets ’opened air assault corridors,’ and bombers carried out long-range missions.
In a propaganda video, the Eastern Theater Command depicted a caricature of Lai with devilish pointed ears and fighter planes and warships surrounding the island, concluding with the image of a fist transformed into a hammer and then a sword directed at Taiwan.
A security source from Taiwan stated that so far, there have been no signs of missile launches.
’Flagrant challenges’
The Ministry of Defense and the coast guard in Taiwan stated that they have mobilized their own forces, while officials indicated that the President’s National Security Council convened on Monday to discuss the situation.
Joseph Wu, the Secretary-General of the National Security Council, stated that China has ignored Lai’s goodwill message.
’The use of military force to threaten other countries contravenes the fundamental spirit of the UN Charter to resolve disputes peacefully,’ he told reporters in Taipei.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which formulates policy regarding China, stated that China’s recent war games and refusal to renounce the use of force have been ’flagrant challenges’ that seriously undermine regional peace and stability.
The Presidential Office of Taiwan also asserted that Beijing should recognize the existence of the Republic of China—Taiwan’s official name—and respect the Taiwanese people’s choice for a free and democratic way of life.
China should ’refrain from military provocations that would disrupt the status quo of peace and stability in the region and threaten Taiwan’s democratic freedoms,’ the statement emphasized.
The U.S.message
In Washington, officials from President Joe Biden’s administration stated that they are monitoring the exercises and that there is no justification for them following Lai’s ’routine’ speech.
’We call on the PRC to exercise restraint and avoid any further actions that could undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which are essential for regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern,’ said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, using the initials for the People’s Republic of China, China’s official name.
However, Taiwan’s stock market largely disregarded the tensions, with the benchmark index.TWII rising by 0. 4% in mid-morning trading, and there was no sign of public alarm.
On Sunday, Taiwan reported that a Chinese naval group is sailing toward the southern part of the island through the strategic Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and connects the South China Sea to the Pacific.
Chinese state media began publishing a series of articles and comments denouncing Lai’s speech from Thursday, and on Sunday, the Eastern Theater Command aired a video claiming to be ’prepared for battle.’.
The Liberation Army Daily newspaper wrote on Monday that ’those who play with fire will get burned!’ It announced, ’As long as the challenges of ’Taiwan independence’ continue, actions to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity will not cease.’.
China organized the ’Joint Sword-2024A’ exercises around Taiwan for two days in May, shortly after Lai took office, stating that these were a ’punishment’ for the separatist content in his inauguration speech.
Lai has repeatedly offered discussions with China but has been refused.He claims that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
Other exercises
The military exercises off Taiwan’s coasts are not the only activities China is engaged in on Monday.
In another area of the Pacific, the Chinese navy conducted joint military exercises with Russia, according to the Interfax news agency.
According to a Russian news agency cited by the BBC, Russian and Chinese warships conducted ’combat exercises with live-fire drills during anti-submarine and air defense maneuvers’ in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
China and Russia have conducted multiple joint military exercises in recent months as Moscow and Beijing seek to deepen security ties.
In July, Russian and Chinese aircraft conducted their first joint patrols with bombers over areas near the U.S.
