China conducted drills around Taiwan involving fighter jets and warships on Monday, aiming to send a strong message to what it considers separatist elements on the self-ruled island. Beijing has held four rounds of large-scale war games in the past two years, indicating its willingness to use force to bring the island under its control.
The United States criticised China’s actions as unwarranted and potentially escalating, urging Beijing to exercise restraint.
Taiwan denounced the recent exercises as irrational and provocative, stating that appropriate forces have been deployed in response. The defence ministry confirmed that outlying islands under Taiwanese administration are on high alert and ready to respond to any hostile situations according to engagement rules.
President Lai Ching-te, who assumed office in May, has been more vocal than his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, in defending the country’s sovereignty, which has irked Beijing, leading to accusations of separatism.
According to Captain Li Xi, a Chinese military spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, the Joint Sword-2024B drills are designed to test the joint operations capabilities of the theatre command’s troops. They are being conducted north, south, and east of the Island, focusing on sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade of key ports and areas, and assault on maritime and ground targets.
In recent years, China has increased its military activity around Taiwan, deploying warplanes and other military aircraft while maintaining a constant presence around the island’s waters.
In response to the drill, Lai Ching-te, who has vowed to protect the democratic island, convened a high-level security meeting, pledging to resist annexation and stressing that Beijing and Taipei were not subordinate to each other.
The ongoing dispute between China and Taiwan traces back to a civil war in 1949, when the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek were defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters, leading to their retreat to Taiwan. Since then, China and Taiwan have been governed separately.