PRC Military Continues 'Punishment' Drills Near Taiwan

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Facts

  • Taiwan on Friday monitored dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast during a second day of Beijing's large military exercises. PRC officials said these drills were a response to the inauguration this week of Lai Ching-te as the island's new president.1
  • Lai's Democratic Progressive Party believes in Taiwan's status as separate from China, while the PRC claims Taiwan is part of its territory. In his inaugural speech, Lai said he'd keep Taiwan's democracy safe from the mainland.2
  • At the outset Thursday of the exercises, codenamed Joint Sword-2024A, China said it was testing its military's ability to 'seize power' and control key areas of Taiwan as 'punishment' for Lai's speech.3
  • Part of the drills involved China staging simulated missile strikes and deploying fighter jets equipped with live missiles and bombers. Multiple attack formations were set up by the bombers in the waters east of Taiwan in coordination with China's navy ships.4
  • Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, speaking in Taipei, said the island 'will not make any concessions' to China as a result of the drills. A spokesperson for the US Navy 7th Fleet said it's keeping track of 'all of the activities' in the Indo-Pacific.4

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2New York Times, 3Al Jazeera and 4Reuters.com.

Narratives

  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. Lai's rhetoric is unacceptable and it's crucial for China to conduct these drills to send a message to his pro-secession factions in Taiwan's government — and to outside forces who seek to support them — that Beijing will not sit idly by. These drills show China is willing to put its vast military power to work to do whatever it takes to deter Taiwan's rebellious inclinations.
  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by BBC News. This was a predictable reaction by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Lai's inauguration speech. China's always flexing its muscles when it feels disrespected, but the Taiwanese people aren't afraid. And Xi has united all of Taiwan's political parties against these drills — with even those who are considered pro-China calling for restraint from Beijing. Taiwan doesn't scare easily.

Predictions