NEW DELHI: China concluded a two-day military exercise around Taiwan, simulating attacks with bombers and practicing boarding ships, as reported by Taiwan‘s defence ministry on Saturday. The drills, named “Joint Sword – 2024A”, were launched three days after Lai Ching-te became Taiwan’s president, whom Beijing considers a “separatist”.
According to China’s defence ministry, the exercises were a response to Lai’s inauguration speech, in which he stated that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait were “not subordinate to each other”.
Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rejected, maintaining that only the Taiwanese people can determine their future and rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Taiwan’s government has denounced the drills and stated that it will not be intimidated by Chinese pressure.
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported that on Friday, 46 Chinese military planes crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which previously served as an informal boundary between the two sides. In total, 62 Chinese aircraft and 27 navy ships were detected. The aircraft, including advanced Su-30 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flew in the strait and down into the Bashi Channel, separating Taiwan from the Philippines. The ministry also released footage taken by Taiwanese air force planes of a Chinese J-16 fighter and an H-6 bomber, without specifying the exact location.
Over the past four years, China has regularly conducted military activities around Taiwan, including large-scale war games in 2022 and 2023. The People’s Liberation Army Daily commentary, published as “the voice of the military”, accused Lai of acting as a “pawn” for external forces to hinder China’s development. It warned that if “Taiwan independence separatist forces insist on going their own way or even take risks, the PLA will obey orders and take decisive action to resolutely smash all separatist plots.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
According to China’s defence ministry, the exercises were a response to Lai’s inauguration speech, in which he stated that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait were “not subordinate to each other”.
Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rejected, maintaining that only the Taiwanese people can determine their future and rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Taiwan’s government has denounced the drills and stated that it will not be intimidated by Chinese pressure.
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported that on Friday, 46 Chinese military planes crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which previously served as an informal boundary between the two sides. In total, 62 Chinese aircraft and 27 navy ships were detected. The aircraft, including advanced Su-30 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flew in the strait and down into the Bashi Channel, separating Taiwan from the Philippines. The ministry also released footage taken by Taiwanese air force planes of a Chinese J-16 fighter and an H-6 bomber, without specifying the exact location.
Over the past four years, China has regularly conducted military activities around Taiwan, including large-scale war games in 2022 and 2023. The People’s Liberation Army Daily commentary, published as “the voice of the military”, accused Lai of acting as a “pawn” for external forces to hinder China’s development. It warned that if “Taiwan independence separatist forces insist on going their own way or even take risks, the PLA will obey orders and take decisive action to resolutely smash all separatist plots.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
