PLA Begins Two Days of Military Drills Around Taiwan
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The People's Liberation Army (PLA) started two days of joint military drills around the island of Taiwan on Thursday, the same week as the inauguration of the region’s new leader Lai Ching-te.
The drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, began at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, and will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island, as well as around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a Thursday statement.
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- The PLA commenced two days of military drills around Taiwan, coinciding with the inauguration of the region’s new leader, Lai Ching-te.
- The exercises, named Joint Sword-2024A, involve coordinated efforts from multiple military branches and focus on sea-air patrols, battlefield control, and precision strikes.
- A simultaneous law-enforcement drill by China's coast guard in nearby waters aims to enhance maritime patrol and emergency response capabilities.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) commenced a two-day series of joint military drills around Taiwan starting Thursday. This coincided with the inauguration of Taiwan’s new leader, Lai Ching-te. [para. 1]
These drills, named Joint Sword-2024A, initiated at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday. They are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and are concentrated to the north, south, and east of Taiwan Island, including areas surrounding the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin. The PLA Eastern Theater Command revealed these details in a statement on Thursday.[para. 2]
Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, explained in another statement that the drills include participation from various military branches such as the army, navy, air force, and rocket force of the theater command.[para. 3]
The primary objectives of these drills are to emphasize joint sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on significant targets, according to Li. [para. 4] in his statement, he mentioned the involvement of patrols by vessels and aircraft in regions near the island of Taiwan. Additionally, the drills encompass integrated operations within and beyond the island chain to evaluate the theater command's forces' capabilities in real combat situations. [para. 5]
Furthermore, Li emphasized that the drills act as a significant deterrent and punishment for actions promoting "Taiwan independence." They also serve as a stern warning against any foreign interference or provocation.[para. 6]
Moreover, a coast guard fleet from East China’s Fujian province engaged in a law-enforcement exercise on Thursday. This took place in waters near the Wuqiu and Dongyin islands, as reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency.[para. 7]
Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, stated that the drill's goal was to assess the fleet's capabilities in joint maritime patrol and emergency response procedures. Notably, the China Coast Guard functions as an armed police force under the Central Military Commission, which is the highest defense body in China.[para. 8]
For further information, readers are encouraged to contact reporter Lu Zhenhua at zhenhualu@caixin.com and editor Michael Bellart at michaelbellart@caixin.com.[para. 9]
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