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China has begun more large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, confirming fears that Beijing will increase tensions days after Taiwan President Lai Ching’s National Day speech -te.
China’s People’s Liberation Army said on Monday it sent ground, navy, air force and missile forces to practice “combat readiness patrols, blockade of important ports and areas , attack targets at sea and on the ground and gain comprehensive superiority.”
In a statement, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said the exercise “also serves as a stern warning against separatist actions by ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces”.
The PLA exercise took place after a Lai’s speech last Thursday – whom Beijing denounces as a “dangerous separatist” – in which he asserted Taiwan’s sovereignty but also called on China to cooperate with him for peace.
He also highlighted the 1911 uprising that overthrew imperial Chinese rule as part of the Taiwanhistory of China, to introduce Taiwanese people to Chinese identity.
Lai’s aides described his speech as a gesture of goodwill toward Beijing, while foreign observers saw it as restrained and moderate.
“There were times when Beijing responded to Taipei’s restraint. This could be one of them. But they are choosing a different path,” said Rush Doshi, who worked on the China on US President Joe Biden’s National Security Council until early this year, posted on X on Monday.
Later on Monday, Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, will speak at a conference in Prague as part of a week-long trip to Europe, something Beijing has also publicly opposed.
The PLA calls its exercises “Joint Sword 2024 B,” considering them a continuation of the drills held. three days after Lai’s inauguration in May.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to annex the island by force if Taipei refuses to submit to its control indefinitely. Beijing regularly uses military drills and propaganda about them to intimidate the Taiwanese public and put strain on Taiwan’s armed forces.
Taiwanese and foreign security officials and military experts say many of the PLA’s moves are just exercises it will conduct.
The PLA has sharply increased its exercises near Taiwan’s waters and airspace since Mr. Lai took office.
Last week, senior Taiwanese officials said the PLA had kept an unusually large number of ships at sea, suggesting it would cap the last major exercise of the season with a National Day speech by Taiwan. Lai.
“The fact that they called the exercise after the inauguration ceremony in May ‘Joint Sword 2024 A’ also means they need to hold another exercise called ‘Joint Sword 2024 B’,” said a Taiwanese official. ‘”.
The US has warned Beijing not to respond to Lai’s speech with actions. Last week, a senior US official said: “There is no legitimate reason to use an annual celebration as an excuse for military exercises.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense called China’s actions “unreasonable and provocative behavior” and said it had sent forces to respond.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines over the weekend, hinting that it will participate in exercises east of Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials said a group of Chinese coast guard vessels had helps assert China’s expansive territorial claims and is part of the military chain of command, which is also active in waters off its east coast.
China’s military exercises in May included the coast guard for the first time, but Monday’s participation appeared to be larger.
China’s coast guard said the four flotillas were conducting “law enforcement inspections” and “patrolling and maintaining control” in the waters around Taiwan.
“This is a practical operation under the One China Principle to administer and control the island of Taiwan according to the law,” the statement said.
China’s coast guard also began “comprehensive law enforcement inspections” in the coastal waters of Matsu and Dongyin, Taiwan-controlled islands just off China’s coast, the force said. This will include boarding and inspecting vessels as well as controlling the waters and chasing away illegal vessels, he said. .
In most of the previous exercises that China saw as a response to events in Taiwan, the PLA introduced several new operational models that it later continued to use.
Taiwanese and Western military officials say this has eroded the fragile status quo between the two sides.
