China "Successfully Completes Taiwan Encirclement Drills"

Aircraft Carrier No. 1 'Liaoning' Also Participates
Targeting Taiwan President's Statement Denying 'One China' Policy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Using Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's National Day speech as a pretext, the Chinese military conducted encirclement drills around Taiwan.

Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, stated on the official social media account at 6 p.m. local time on the 14th, "On the 14th, the Eastern Theater Command successfully completed all phases of the 'Joint Sharp Sword-2024B Exercise' and comprehensively tested the integrated joint operational capabilities of the theater units."

He added, "We will maintain a high level of vigilance at all times, continuously strengthen training and combat readiness, and resolutely thwart any separatist activities advocating 'Taiwan independence.'"

Chinese authorities also announced that the Liaoning Carrier Strike Group, China’s first aircraft carrier group, and a coast guard flotilla participated in the drills that day.

Earlier, the Eastern Theater Command announced that at 5 a.m. on the same day, it mobilized ground, naval, air, and rocket forces to conduct the exercise in the Taiwan Strait and the northern, southern, and eastern regions of Taiwan. The command stated, "Warships and aircraft will approach Taiwan Island from multiple directions, and various military branches will conduct joint assaults. We will focus on practicing maritime and aerial combat readiness and vigilance, patrols, blockade of key port areas, maritime and land strikes, and comprehensive control seizure to assess the theater units’ real combat capabilities."

They also emphasized that the exercise is "a strong shock and deterrent against the separatist forces advocating 'Taiwan independence' and a just and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and national unity." This move is interpreted as a response to President Lai Ching-te’s remarks on the 10th, in which he emphasized his refusal to recognize the "One China" principle.

Earlier, in his speech commemorating the 113th National Day held on the 10th in front of the Taipei Presidential Office, President Lai stated, "The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China (China) do not subordinate to each other," and "The People's Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan."