China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan as a warning to “independence forces” on the island. The drills followed criticism of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s speech by Beijing. Lai had asserted that China had no right to represent Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy. China views Lai as a separatist and held similar drills around Taiwan after his inauguration in May. The recent exercises, named “Joint Sword-2024B,” involve various branches of the Chinese military and aim to test joint operations capability. Vessels and aircraft are approaching Taiwan from different directions as part of the drills.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense criticized the provocative and irrational nature of the exercises, while the Mainland Affairs Council expressed disappointment in the disregard for Taiwan’s goodwill. Despite China’s increased military activities around Taiwan, Lai maintained that Taiwan and China were not subordinate to each other and that democracy and freedom were thriving in Taiwan.
Chinese officials accused Lai of advancing Taiwan independence for his own political interest, emphasizing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China. While the threat from China is perceived as serious in Taiwan, most people believe an invasion within the next five years is unlikely. The tension between China and Taiwan remains high, with China continuing to assert its goal of unification and Taiwan asserting its sovereignty and commitment to resisting encroachment.
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