China on Monday, October 14, 2024, launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan as a “stern warning” to the island country.
According to The Washington Post, the spokesperson of the Chinese command, Li Xi, announced that the land and sea exercises dubbed Joint Sword-2024B are taking place in “areas to the north, south, and east of Taiwan island.”
He said that these exercises would “test the joint operations capabilities” of the military’s Eastern Theater Command and would send a “stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces.”
As per the command spokesperson, the drills were “focusing on the subjects of sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade of key ports and areas” and involved an “assault on maritime and ground targets.”
Xi asserted that the drills were legitimate and necessary operations for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity.
The Chinese officials have not given any date for the conclusion of these drills.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s defense ministry “expressed strong condemnation of such irrational and provocative behavior.”
Taiwan’s presidential office stated that it has sent troops to protect the country and respond to the Chinese military, while the president has called a national security meeting to discuss Taiwan’s response.
To note, the military exercise came days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te forcefully defended the democracy of the island during the National Day speech.
