China on Thursday launched surprise “punishment” drills encircling Taiwan, just days after the inauguration of a new Taiwanese president Beijing has denounced as a “separatist”.
The two-day exercise began abruptly at 7.45am local time. Billed “Joint Sword-2024A”, it will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and around groups of Taiwan-controlled islands that sit next to the Chinese coast, the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement.
It added that the army, navy, air force and rocket force would all play a role to focus on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrol, seizure of comprehensive battlefield control and precision strikes on key targets.
“The drills also serve as strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces,” reported Chinese state news agency Xinhua, citing Li Xi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Command.
Taiwan’s defence ministry condemned the drills as “irrational provocation that has jeopardised regional peace and stability” and said it had put its forces on alert to protect its territory.
“We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one. We have the capacity, determination and confidence to safeguard our national security,” the ministry said in a statement that also urged citizens to “stand united”.
The exercises come just three days after Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan’s new president – a man Beijing has long distrusted as a dangerous separatist and who Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, described as “disgraceful” earlier this week.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which claims Taiwan as its own despite never ruling there, has refused to renounce seizing the island by force. It has ignored Mr Lai’s repeated invitations to talks.
In a defining speech on Monday to set the tone for his administration, Mr Lai told China to cease military and political intimidation of his country and respect its democracy.
The drills present an early test of the Lai presidency although Taiwan has long been subjected to sustained Chinese military and economic coercion tactics in recent years.
In August 2022, China launched larger four-day live-fire exercises after it was angered by a visit to the island by Nancy Pelosi, the former US House speaker.
Mr Lai, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected in January in a poll that Beijing portrayed as a choice between war and peace.
Officials in Taipei have indicated they were preparing for new Chinese military movements around the timing of the inauguration.
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