China initiated military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday, considering it a “grave warning” to separatist elements. Taipei swiftly condemned these actions.
Vice President Lai, a leading contender in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential elections in January, recently returned from the United States. While officially making stopovers on his way to and from Paraguay, he delivered speeches during his U.S. visit.
Despite the island’s government’s strong objections, China regards democratically governed Taiwan as an integral part of its territory.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command released a brief statement announcing joint naval and air combat readiness patrols in the vicinity of the island.
Taiwan’s defense ministry reported the detection of 42 Chinese aircraft and eight vessels participating in drills around the island on Saturday morning. In response, Taiwan deployed its own ships and aircraft. Notably, 26 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the 100-kilometer-wide (60-mile) Taiwan Strait, breaching a longstanding unofficial boundary separating the two military forces.
The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command clarified that these exercises focused on the coordination of ships and aircraft, control seizure, and anti-submarine maneuvers in the northern and southwestern regions of Taiwan, aimed at evaluating the forces’ “actual combat capabilities.”
Taiwan’s government vehemently criticized the military drills, affirming its capacity, determination, and confidence in safeguarding national security. The Mainland Affairs Council, responsible for Taiwan’s China policy, called upon Beijing to cease its intimidation tactics and initiate dialogue. It emphasized that Taiwan’s people remained resolute in their determination to defend themselves and would not yield to threats of force.
