China surrounds Taiwan with military maneuvers, ‘severe punishment for separatist acts’ of island

China launched military maneuvers around Taiwan on Thursday, May 23, three days after the inauguration speech of the new Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te. It’s about a “severe punishment for the separatist acts of “Taiwan independence” forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces”according to Li Xi, the spokesperson for the Chinese army’s eastern theater command, quoted by the official Xinhua news agency.

“All separatist forces in favor of the independence of Taiwan will end in blood, with their heads broken in the face of the historic event of the complete reunification of China”warned Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy.

“The exercises are taking place in the Taiwan Strait, in the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan, as well as in areas around the islands of Chinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin”, Xinhua reported, specifying that the exercises, scheduled for two days, had started at 7:45 a.m. local time (12:45 a.m. Paris time). The Chinese coast guard immediately announced that it had launched a “law enforcement exercise” near the Taiwanese islands of Wuqiu and Dongyin.

These maneuvers, called “Joint Sword-2024A”, mobilize the army, navy, air force and rocket unit, according to Li Xi. The objective is to “test the joint real combat capabilities of the command forces”he also explained, through “sea-air combat readiness patrols, taking control of the entire battlefield and precision strikes on key targets”.

Taiwan has described “provocations and irrational actions” Chinese military maneuvers. “The Ministry of National Defense strongly condemned these provocations and irrational actions which harm regional peace and stability. We deployed sea, air and land forces in response (…) to defend freedom, democracy and sovereignty” of Taiwan, the ministry said.

“Faced with external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend the values ​​of freedom and democracy, and to preserve peace and stability in the region”said Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who took office on Monday, on Thursday during an event organized on a military base. “I will stand on the front lines with our brothers and sisters in the military as we defend national security together”did he declare.

Four Taiwanese fighter planes took off from the Hsinchu base, about sixty kilometers southwest of Taipei, around 1 p.m. (local time). Footage released by the Taiwanese coast guard shows officers ordering Chinese ships to leave the area over a loudspeaker. “Your movements affect the order and security of our country, please turn around and leave our restricted waters as soon as possible”proclaims one of the officers in a video published by the coast guard on social networks.

The Taiwan Coast Guard also deployed its fleet to sea to defend “firmly sovereignty and security” from the island.

“Confession of Taiwan’s independence”

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This week, China described the inauguration speech of the new Taiwanese president as“confession of Taiwan’s independence” and threatened to “retaliation”. Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949, when nationalists took refuge on the island after their defeat by communist forces in the Chinese civil war on the mainland. Beijing, which considers the democratically governed island to be part of its territory, has not ruled out the use of force to place it under its control.

Mr. Lai, whom Beijing described as “dangerous separatist” in the past, was sworn in on Monday on the island. He promised to defend democracy there in the face of threats from Beijing and called on China to “stop its political and military intimidation”. He also spoke directly about the risk of war after years of increasing pressure from the Middle Kingdom to bring Taiwan under its control.

Taiwanese separatists “will be pilloried of shame for history”commented on Tuesday, the director of the Chinese central foreign affairs office, Wang Yi. “Lai Ching-te’s betrayal of his nation and ancestors is shameful”he added, during a meeting of foreign ministers from the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

This week, China also responded by sanctioning around fifteen American companies to denounce the sale of arms by the United States to Taiwan. Because, if Washington abandoned diplomatic recognition of Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979, the American Congress simultaneously imposed the provision of arms to Taiwan, with the stated aim of dissuading China from any expansionist desire.

The previous large-scale Chinese military exercises around Taiwan took place in August 2023, a “severe warning”, according to Beijing, after a visit to the United States by Mr. Lai, then vice-president. Before that, Beijing had also launched maneuvers of historic proportions in August 2022, after the visit to the island of Nancy Pelosi, then head of American deputies.