Beijing, 23 May 2024, (GNP): China has warned that supporters of Taiwanese independence would face severe consequences, describing it as “heads broken and blood flowing,” and stated that its military exercises around the self-governed island are intended to deliver a “serious warning.
“Taiwan independence forces will be left with their heads broken and blood flowing after colliding against the great… undertaking of China achieving complete unification,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
China initiated two days of military drills around Taiwan, encircling the island with navy vessels and aircraft as a “strong punishment” for “separatist acts,” according to state media. Wenbin characterized the exercises as a “serious warning.”
The military drills on Thursday occurred three days after Lai Ching-te assumed office as Taiwan’s new leader.
China has labeled Lai a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and decline” to the island. Viewing Taiwan as a renegade province that must eventually be reunified, China has not ruled out the use of military force to achieve this.
In recent years, relations have deteriorated as China has increased pressure on the island, periodically raising concerns about a possible invasion.
Joint Sword-2024A
The drills on Thursday and Friday, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, will “focus on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets,” according to Xinhua.
“The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan from 7:45 a.m. Thursday (2345 GMT),” the news agency said, adding the drills were being conducted in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island.
The drills will also take place around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin, Xinhua said.
The news agency reported military spokesman Li Xi as saying the exercises “involve the patrol of vessels and planes closing in on areas around the island of Taiwan and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the joint real combat capabilities of the forces of the command”.
The spokesperson said the drills would also serve as a “strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces”, Xinhua news agency said.
China begins two days of military drills “surrounding the island of Taiwan”, state media report, adding drills are being conducted in Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island pic.twitter.com/sY9nIdwZEg
Real combat conditions
The last time China announced similar military exercises around the island was in August last year, following Lai’s stopover in the United States on a visit to Paraguay while he was vice president.
Those drills also aimed to test the PLA’s ability “to seize control of air and sea spaces” and to fight “in real combat conditions,” according to state media. Beijing described them as a “stern warning.”
Prior to that, there were drills in April simulating the encirclement of the island, triggered by Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
China also conducted major military exercises in 2022 after Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited Taiwan. The country also held drills when Tsai later transited through the United States.
US and Taiwan react to China’s drills
Taiwan expressed regret that China initiated military drills around the self-governed island shortly after Lai Ching-te assumed office as its new leader.
“It is regrettable to see China using unilateral, provocative military behaviour that threatens Taiwan’s democracy and freedom as well as regional peace and stability,” presidential spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement.
“In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend democracy.”
US Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka remarked that China’s military drills around Taiwan were anticipated but still “concerning.”
“We expected something like this, frankly,” the US Indo-Pacific Command deputy commander told an audience in Canberra. “Just because we expect that behaviour does not mean we that we should not condemn it and we need to condemn it publicly,” he said.
“It is concerning.”
Sklenka said other nations besides the United States should speak out against the drills.
“It’s one thing when the United States condemns the Chinese, but there’s a far more powerful effect, I believe, when it comes from nations within this region,” the lieutenant general told reporters.
“I also believe in my heart of hearts that conflict between our two nations is not inevitable, and it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
Sklenka stated his belief that the “target” of China’s exercises was its domestic population rather than the international community.
