China has launched two days of military drills in the water and airspace around the self-governing island of Taiwan.
The drills are the first substantive response from China to the inauguration of William Lai Ching-te as Taiwan’s newest President which took place on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Both Lai and his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen are from the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive party (DPP), which Beijing considers to be separatists.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office had warned of undefined “countermeasures” to Lai’s inauguration speech, in which he called on China to end its hostility.
Any speech by a President belonging to the DPP, short of capitulating to Beijing’s position that Taiwan belongs to China, was likely to provoke an angry response.
According to Chinese state broadcaster, Lai’s speech was “extremely harmful” and that the drills, which it called “countermeasures” were “legitimate, legal and necessary.”
Chinese state media reported that the drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, would involve units from the army, navy, air force and rocket force, operating in the Taiwan Strait, to the north, south and east of the main island.
Units will also operate around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin, which are all close to the Chinese mainland.
The media quoted a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Li Xi, as saying that the drills would “serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces.”
In recent years, China has heightened its pressure on Taiwan, with increased air force incursions into its air defence identification zone, economic coercion, and cognitive warfare, designed to convince Taiwan to accept a Chinese takeover without war.
Analysts claimed that the name of the exercise, suffixed “2024A” suggested more drills targeting Taiwan could be expected this year.
Wen-ti Sung, a political analyst and China expert at the Australian National University, on X, “This feels like a prelude to more and bigger military drills to come.”
“This is a signal to shape international narratives. The real ‘punishment’ against Taiwan may be yet to come, for it takes time,” the analyst added.
China Accused Of Disrupting Regional Peace
In response to the drills, Taiwan accused China of “irrational provocation and disruption of regional peace and stability.”
“The current military exercise not only does not help peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also highlights the hegemonic nature of the [Chinese Communist party],” Taiwan’s ministry of defence said.
The defence ministry disclosed that sea, air and ground forces had been put on alert, base security had been strengthened, and air defence and missile forces ordered to monitor possible targets.
It was also preparing for cognitive warfare operations.
President Lai Ching-te said that he will continue to defend the values of freedom and democracy in the face of “external” challenges and threats.
He added that as Commander in Chief, it was his “responsibility to protect the country.”
Deputy Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Lt Gen Stephen Sklenka, told the press in Canberra that China’s threats needed to be taken seriously, but an attack or invasion was not inevitable or imminent.
He noted that foreign governments, particularly those in this region, had to publicly condemn China’s actions.
“The normalisation of abnormal actions, that’s what’s happening. Just because we expect that behaviour doesn’t mean we shouldn’t condemn it.
“So it is concerning, but I also believe in my heart of hearts a conflict between our two nations is not inevitable and it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
Lt Gen Stephen Sklenka
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