China 'punishes' Taiwan president remarks with new drills

China has recently conducted new military drills near Taiwan, which it has described as a form of punishment for remarks made by Taiwan's President William Lai. In a speech, President Lai declared that Taiwan would resist any attempts at annexation or encroachment on its sovereignty. This statement has drawn a strong reaction from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to retake it by force if necessary. On Monday, Taiwan's military reported that it had detected 34 naval vessels and 125 aircraft from China in formation around the island. Chinese state media published maps showing that their forces were positioned around the entire island. Later that day, China announced that the military drills had been successfully completed. nThe Chinese military, known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), stated that the drills involved all branches of the military and were designed to simulate an attack on Taiwan from land, sea, and air. Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, mentioned that the drills were aimed at fully testing the integrated joint operation capabilities of their troops. Despite the military activities, Taiwan's airports and ports continued to operate normally. The Taiwanese defense ministry condemned China's actions and emphasized that their priority was to avoid direct clashes that could escalate the situation further. They also placed outlying islands on high alert. nChina's foreign ministry confirmed that it had simulated military assaults and port blockades, labeling Taiwanese independence as incompatible with peace in the region. A post by the Chinese coast guard on its Weibo account later noted that the route of their patrols was shaped like a heart. Since 2022, China has conducted several major military drills off the coast of Taiwan, and its fighter jets frequently enter Taiwanese airspace. The latest exercise, dubbed Joint Sword 2024-B by Beijing, had been anticipated since May when drills with the same name, referred to as part A, were conducted. That earlier exercise, which China described as its largest to date, coincided with the inauguration of President Lai, who Beijing has long viewed as a troublemaker advocating for Taiwan's independence. nLai's recent comments, made during Taiwan's national day celebrations, were condemned by China, which accused him of escalating tensions with sinister intentions. While these drills were expected, the deployment of Chinese ships and aircraft so close to Taiwan, along with the heated rhetoric, indicates a very aggressive stance. In any other context, this would be seen as a significant escalation, but it occurs against a backdrop of already high tensions. The United States responded by stating that there was no justification for the drills following Lai's routine speech and urged China to refrain from further actions that could jeopardize peace and stability in the region. nThe recent history of China's military intimidation of Taiwan dates back to 1996, following Taiwan's first direct presidential elections. At that time, China declared several areas around Taiwan off-limits and fired short-range ballistic missiles into those areas off the north and south coasts. In response, US President Bill Clinton discreetly moved US Navy forces into the Taiwan Strait to demonstrate to Beijing that the US would prevent any attack on the island. Tensions eased significantly between 2008 and 2016 until the election of a president from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which China considers a hardline pro-independence party. Since then, China has cut off all direct contacts with the government in Taipei. This situation has persisted ever since. nIn August 2022, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, marking the first time a sitting House Speaker had visited the island since 1997. Pelosi's visit and her open support for Taiwan were perceived by Beijing as a major provocation, coming close to a formal recognition of Taiwan's government by a high-ranking US official. In retaliation, China conducted two days of military exercises and, for the first time, flew ballistic missiles over the island and into the Pacific Ocean. nTaiwan's combat engineer troops were seen during an exercise amid a visit by Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Chiayi county on March 25, 2023.