China began two days of military drills around Taiwan on Thursday morning, surrounding the island with naval ships and aircraft as a “severe punishment” for “separatist acts,” state media reported.
The military drills came three days after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as Taiwan’s new president.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has branded Lai a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and decadence” to the island.
China, which split from Taiwan at the end of the 1949 civil war, views the island as a renegade province that must eventually be reunited and has refused to rule out using military force to do so. There is.
Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent years as China has stepped up pressure on the democratic island of Taiwan and periodically stoked fears of a possible invasion.
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The Thursday and Friday drills, codenamed “Joint Sword 2024A,” will “focus on joint naval and air combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets,” Xinhua said.
“The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command began joint military drills around Taiwan island at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday (11:45 p.m. Japan time),” the news agency said, adding that the exercises were being conducted in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan island.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the exercise will also be carried out around Kinmen Island, Matsu Island, Wuqiu Island and Dongyin Island.
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The news agency quoted military spokesman Li Xi as saying the drills would “test the command’s forces’ joint combat capabilities through patrols of ships and aircraft approaching the areas around Taiwan island and joint operations both within and outside the island archipelago.”
According to Xinhua, the spokesman said the drills would also serve as “a strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces.”
China announced similar military exercises around Taiwan last August after then-vice president Lai stopped in the United States during a visit to Paraguay.
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The exercises also tested the PLA’s ability to “take control of air and sea space” and fight “in real combat conditions,” state media said.
Beijing described it at the time as a “stern warning.”
They followed drills in April simulating an island encirclement that were sparked by a meeting between Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, in California with then-U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
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China also launched large-scale military exercises following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022.
The drills were later conducted when then-President Tsai passed through the United States.
World powers want as much stability as possible between China and Taiwan because of the important role Taiwan plays in the global economy.
The Taiwan Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime trade arteries, and Taiwan itself is a major technology manufacturer, particularly of critical semiconductors, small chips used in everything from smartphones to missile systems.
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