Chinese military units drill in Taiwan to warn ‘foreign forces’ after US, Japan tensions

China’s military on Monday sent air, naval and rocket forces to conduct joint drills on the island of Taiwan – a move Beijing called a “strong warning” against separatist forces and “foreign interference”.

Taiwan said it was putting its forces on alert and called the Chinese government a “big destroyer of peace.”

This training took place after Beijing expressed anger over US arms sales in the area and a statement by the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, that its military could intervene if China takes action against Taiwan, an island it governs and the second largest economy in the world that it claims should be under its rule. But China’s military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement Monday morning.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said in an X post that rapid response exercises are ongoing, with forces on high alert to protect the island. In another statement, it said it has sent the appropriate forces to respond, conducting combat readiness exercises.

“The military exercises directed by the Chinese Communist Party reaffirm its status as an aggressor and a major destroyer of peace,” the ministry said.

Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the exercises will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and in the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Shi said the operations would focus on monitoring naval air combat readiness, “full-scale joint seizure” and blockade of key ports. It was also a major military exercise in which the command publicly stated that one of the objectives was “blockade on all sides except the island chain.”

“It is a strong warning against the separatist forces of ‘Taiwan Independence’ and disruptive foreign forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary step to protect China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949, when a civil war put the Communist Party in power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Army soldiers fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, although the mainland government claims it is a sovereign territory.

A live shooting exercise is expected

Monday’s order deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as long-range rockets, north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait. It conducts live fire exercises against targets in water as well. Tests to test the power of sea air communication and direct target hunting were also conducted in the water and air east of the strait.

It said major military exercises were scheduled to take place between 8 am and 6 pm local time on Tuesday, saying it would organize live-fire operations, and that its exercises would cover five locations around the island.

The command released themed posters about online exams, accompanied by provocative words. One poster showed two Great Wall shields next to three military planes and two ships. Its social media post said the tests were about “the shield of justice, a shattering illusion,” adding that any outside communicators or separatists touching the shields would be removed.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions on 20 US defense companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced a major arms sale to Taiwan worth more than $10 billion US. If approved by the US Congress, it will be the largest US arms package ever to reach a sovereign state.

Under decades-old US federal law, Washington is obliged to assist Taipei with its defense – a point of contention with China. The US and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter’s administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.

Taiwan’s military is on high alert

Monday’s tests heightened tensions on both sides. Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for Taiwan’s presidential office, said the operation undermines the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, and clearly challenges international law and order.

“Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for not respecting international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” he said.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense released a video showing its weapons and troops in a show of strength. Several French Mirage-2000 aircraft landed at the air force base.

Beijing sends warplanes and naval vessels toward the island almost daily, and in recent years, has increased the scope and scale of these exercises. In October, Taiwan’s government said it would accelerate the construction of the “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of a military threat from China.

The military standoff came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “beating waves and gusty winds,” during a visit to Shanghai.