Chinese PLA Conducts Joint Military Drills Around Taiwan Island

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted the Joint Sword-2024B military drills in the waters around the Taiwan island early Monday.

According to Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, the exercises involved troops from the army, navy, air force, and rocket force, with vessels and planes approaching the island from multiple directions.

On the same day, the China Coast Guard (CCG) announced that four of its fleets carried out law-enforcement patrols in the waters around the Taiwan island. A CCG spokesperson stated that this action enforces lawful control over Taiwan in accordance with the one-China principle.

Monday’s military drills and patrols are the Chinese mainland’s response to a speech by Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te on October 10. Fu Zhengnan, a military expert from the PLA Academy of Military Science, commented that the drills are a strong expression of the national will to oppose “Taiwan independence” forces and promote unification.

“If the Joint Sword-2024A exercise conveyed the message that the PLA will not tolerate radical ‘Taiwan independence’ actions, today’s exercises signal that deceptive and gradual approaches to ‘Taiwan independence’ will also not be allowed,” Fu said.

He highlighted that a notable feature of this operation is its “all-weather” capability, which enhances the realism of combat scenarios. The joint task force initiated military deterrence actions in the early morning, seamlessly transitioning from troop mobilization to pressure tactics. “This readiness allows for a rapid shift from training to combat, resembling ‘a sword poised overhead or a hammer ready to strike’,” Fu explained.

Fu added that the drills aim to warn the Lai administration that pursuing “Taiwan independence” is a dead end, and that if “Taiwan independence” provocateurs make a move, the PLA will escalate its military operations.

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