China recently concluded its large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, signaling an end to these specific war games. However, the Chinese military has indicated that it remains ready for future actions, leaving the door open to more military exercises or responses depending on the situation. These drills, which involved air and naval forces, were seen as a demonstration of China’s military capabilities and a warning to Taiwan and its supporters, especially following heightened tensions over sovereignty issues and Taiwan’s relationship with the U.S.
In conclusion, for now, the exercises reflect Beijing’s ongoing pressure on Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province. The potential for future military activities indicates that China is prepared to maintain a presence and apply continued pressure in the region. Taiwan, in turn, has emphasized its commitment to self-defence and called for international support in light of the threats posed by such activities.
This situation highlights the fragile security dynamics in the Taiwan Strait. China remains firm on its stance on reunification, while Taiwan continues to seek broader international recognition and support in maintaining its autonomy.
China’s military has issued a stark warning to Taiwan, vowing to take further action if necessary. This comes after a day of war games on Monday, which China claims were a response to ‘separatist acts’. The actions, which drew condemnation from both the Taiwanese and U.S. governments, have raised serious concerns about regional stability.
Democratically governed Taiwan had been bracing for more war games since President Lai Ching-te’s National Day speech last week, but some analysts said Monday’s actions seemed calibrated to avoid inflaming the U.S. presidential race, which is a crucial factor in the global balance of power.
Beijing condemned Lai’s address after he said China had no right to represent Taiwan even as he offered to cooperate with Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory. Lai and his government say only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command said the ‘Joint Sword-2024 B’ drills, which involved [specific details of the drills], occurred in the Taiwan Strait and areas north, south, and east of Taiwan.
Shortly after announcing the completion of the ‘Joint Sword-2024 B’ drills, China’s defense ministry issued a stark warning. These drills, it stated, were not a repeat of the earlier ‘Joint Sword-2024A’ war games held in May. Instead, they were a clear signal of increased pressure against Taiwan’s independence, with the potential for further, more intense actions in the future.
“The People’s Liberation Army’s actions will be pushed further with each ‘Taiwan independence’ provocation until the Taiwan issue is completely resolved,” the ministry said in a statement.
The theatre command said the drills were a “stern warning” to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.
It said in a statement that “it is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity. “
The Pentagon slammed the war games, calling them destabilizing.
“This military pressure operation is irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing,” Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said.
The theatre command did not announce any dates for further large-scale drills.
Earlier, it issued a map highlighting nine areas around Taiwan where the drills took place—two on the island’s east coast, three on the west coast, one to the north, and three around Taiwan-controlled islands next to the Chinese coast.
Chinese warship formations, destroyers, and aircraft were approaching Taiwan in “proximity from different directions,” focusing on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, blockading key ports and areas, and assaulting maritime and ground targets, the command added.
The military announced that China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier and supporting ships were also involved east of Taiwan, a deployment monitored by Taiwan’s military.
However, it did not announce any live-fire exercises or no-fly areas, and a Taiwan security source said there were no signs of a missile launch.
Chinese state media said the rocket force carried out simulated missile launches while fighter jets “opened up air assault corridors” and bombers carried out long-range missions.
The Taiwanese Defence Ministry said the drills involved 17 Chinese warships and 125 Chinese military aircraft – the most planes it had detected operating around Taiwan on a given day.
Nevertheless, Monday’s drills appeared less intense than action in 2022 when China fired missiles over the island shortly after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
Singapore-based security analyst Collin Koh said the extensive coastguard actions surrounding Taiwan appeared to be a new front in China’s ongoing ‘grey zone’ operations against Taipei, even if the broader drills were apparently limited to avoid unduly inflaming the U.S. election campaign.
“Besides the election, I suspect the current economic situation doesn’t warrant a further aggravation that stems from heightened cross-strait uncertainty,” said Koh of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
China held the “Joint Sword-2024A” drills for two days around Taiwan in May, shortly after Lai took office, saying they were “punishment” for separatist content in his inauguration speech.
A senior Taiwan security official, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity given the situation’s sensitivity, said they believed China was practicing blockading Taiwanese ports and international shipping lanes and repelling the arrival of foreign forces.
In a significant move on Monday, China’s coastguard vessels circled Taiwan and staged patrols close to Taiwan’s offshore islands of Matsu and Dongyin. They entered the “restricted waters” of Matsu island for the first time to “tear up” boundaries set by Taiwan authorities, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
CCTV added that China “may carry out regular law enforcement patrols around Matsu in the future.”
President Lai condemned the exercises and said they were “intended to undermine regional peace and stability and continue to coerce neighboring countries by force.” Officials said Lai’s National Security Council met to discuss the situation.
In a propaganda video, the Eastern Theatre Command showed a cartoon caricature of Lai with pointed ears like a devil, fighter jets, and warships around the island.
Security analysts are watching Chinese operations closely, given the broader build-up of missile capabilities and efforts by the United States and its allies to improve defenses against them.
BLATANT PROVOCATIONS
Taiwan’s China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said China’s latest war games were “blatant provocations” that seriously undermined regional peace and stability.
Taiwan’s presidential office said in a statement that China should acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China—Taiwan’s formal name—and respect the people of Taiwan’s choice of a free and democratic way of life.
In Washington, officials from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said they were monitoring the drills, which were not justified after Lai’s “routine” speech.
“We call on the PRC to act with restraint and to avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, using the initials for the People’s Republic of China, China’s official name.
Another senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that so far, the drills were not particularly alarming in scale, but Beijing was conducting “hybrid warfare” that included propaganda campaigns, economic coercion, sanctions on specific Taiwanese individuals, and fake news operations.
On Monday, Beijing sanctioned a prominent Taiwan tech tycoon, Robert Tsao, and a lawmaker for separatist activities.
