Chinese Military "Conducting Military Exercises Today in Waters and Airspace Surrounding Taiwan"

Mobilizing Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Forces for Taiwan Encirclement Drill

On the 14th, the Chinese military announced that it would conduct a Taiwan encirclement exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force. This comes about five months after military drills were held targeting President Lai Ching-te's inauguration speech in May.

Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, stated on the official social media account around 5 a.m. that "On the 14th, the Eastern Theater Command will organize forces from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force to conduct the 'Joint Sharp Sword-2024B Exercise' in the Taiwan Strait and the northern, southern, and eastern parts of Taiwan Island."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Spokesperson Li explained, "Warships and aircraft will approach Taiwan Island from multiple directions, and various military branches will conduct joint assaults. The exercise will focus on maritime and aerial combat readiness, vigilance, patrols, blockade of key ports and areas, counter-sea and land strikes, and comprehensive control seizure to assess the theater command's joint operational combat capabilities."

Previously, the Chinese military conducted the 'Joint Sharp Sword-2024A Exercise,' a de facto Taiwan encirclement drill, from May 23 to 24, shortly after President Lai's pro-American and anti-China inauguration speech on May 20. Following the May exercises, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, China's agency responsible for Taiwan, indicated in a briefing that if the "Taiwan independence" provocations did not cease, the People's Liberation Army's actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity would continue, suggesting the possibility of follow-up drills.

This latest Taiwan encirclement exercise by the Chinese military, resumed after about five months, is interpreted as a response to President Lai's Double Ten Day speech on October 10. In his address commemorating the 113th anniversary of Taiwan's National Day, President Lai stated, "The Republic of China (Taiwan) has already taken root in Tai, Peng, Jin, and Ma (Taiwan main island and Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu) and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China (China). China has no right to represent Taiwan," putting forward the so-called "two-state theory" (Liangguo Lun, 兩國論).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.