The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has instigated expansive manoeuvres by both sea and air around Taiwan’s primary island. This move is allegedly in response to provocation from Taiwan’s, President Lai Ching-te, who, in a speech on National Day, adamantly stated that the People’s Republic of China lacks the authority to stand for Taiwan. Nevertheless, he indicated readiness to engage in peaceful discourse with them to safeguard stability.
The naval and aerial drills are said to focus primarily on enhancing combat readiness, blockading pivotal Taiwanese ports and territories, and staged attacks on maritime and terrestrial targets. Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command specified that the exercise is intended as a stern admonition to Taiwan Independence forces to desist from acts of separatism.
Parallel to these military manoeuvres, the Chinese Coast Guard has announced it will conduct enforcement patrols around Taiwan’s primary island. The patrol routes are visualised as circling the island, with the explanation provided that it’s a practical measure to exercise control over the Taiwanese Island in adherence to the one-China principle.
However, the PLA did not disclose the termination date for these manoeuvres, nor were there any announcements of live-fire or no-fly zones. The provided maps indicated nine declared zones designated for the exercises, six of which were in proximity to Taiwan’s significant ports.
Taiwan’s official response ranged from labelling the military exercises as barefaced provocations, to a call from the foreign ministry, expressing a wish for China to alter its confrontational course. The President’s office urged China to acknowledge the ‘goodwill’ that was contained in Mr Lai’s speech. A national security meeting has been convened by Mr Lai to address the issue.
US officials from the Biden administration remarked that the actions of the PLA were under observation and that these military exercises were unwarranted, considering Mr Lai’s speech was of routine nature. The US State Department expressed a desire for China to act responsibly to prevent destabilising the peace and prosperity of the region, thus impacting the global peace.
President of China, Xi Jinping, insists that Taiwan is a province of China and promotes the idea of a “peaceful reunification”. However, the majority of Taiwanese citizens and their parliament vehemently oppose the idea of coming under the rule of the Communist Party. In reaction to this, Beijing has exerted an increased military pressure on Taiwan, evidenced by numerous military exercises and violations of Taiwan’s air defence zone. Concurrently, Beijing has steeped up its cognitive, technological, and economic warfare, coupled with extensive disinformation campaigns. It is suggested by US Intelligence that Mr Xi has commanded the military to prepare to invade Taiwan by 2027 in its entirety.
Mr Lai’s speech on National Day was perceived by experts as measured and less provocative than his pronouncements at his inauguration in May. According to David Sacks of the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Lai could potentially adopt a more explicit tone regarding cross-strait relations, should China respond aggressively to his restrained approach.
The military exercises carried out on Monday, titled “Joint Sword 2024B”, did not take observers by surprise. Following Mr Lai’s inauguration, the “Joint Sword 2024A” exercises were initiated, implying that there were further actions planned for this year. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China frequently runs military drills that primarily focus on a siege or an invasion of Taiwan. These exercises typically require extensive planning and are generally in response to an act or speech from Taiwan deemed provocative by Beijing.
The advancement in PLA’s strategy towards Taiwan, following every new drills, is a point of concern among military analysts, though there seems to be less firepower involved. Last month, for the first time since the 1980s, China conducted a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile landed in the southern Pacific, near French Polynesia, raising alarm among Pacific countries. Recently, China also undertook joint drills with Russia, with Russian state media reporting on continued anti-submarine firing exercises in the northwest Pacific.