In response to Taiwan’s vice president, William Lai, making a stopover in the United States, China has launched military drills around Taiwan as a “stern warning”. Lai, who is the leading candidate in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, visited Paraguay via New York and San Francisco—a nation that still diplomatically recognizes Taiwan.
China expressed anger over Lai’s actions, referring to him as a “troublemaker”, and pledged to take resolute measures to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. As part of these measures, the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted joint air and sea patrols and military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday.
The drills, the scale of which is unknown, aimed to test the PLA’s ability to seize control of air and sea spaces and fight under real combat conditions. Furthermore, these exercises serve as a stern warning to Taiwan’s independence-seeking individuals collaborating with foreign entities and engaging in provocative actions, according to Xinhua, the state media outlet.
Taiwan strongly condemned China’s actions and stated that it would respond with practical actions by deploying appropriate forces. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense criticized China’s military exercise, claiming that it does not contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait but instead highlights China’s militaristic and hegemonic nature.
China’s Claim over Taiwan
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has reiterated its commitment to eventually reclaiming it, even if that requires the use of force. Similar large-scale military exercises were conducted in response to previous visits by US officials to Taiwan. While Washington deemed Lai’s transit routine and called for calm, China’s Taiwan Work Office, part of the ruling Communist Party, labeled Lai’s trip a new provocative move by his party, the DPP, to further collude with the United States.
The official accused Lai of selling Taiwan’s interests and pushing the country towards war, causing deep troubles for the Taiwanese people. During his visit to the United States, Lai pledged to resist annexation and support Tsai’s administration’s core principles. Lai is known for his outspokenness on independence, which strains the already hostile relationship between Taiwan and Beijing, given Tsai’s refusal to acknowledge China’s view that Taiwan is part of its territory.
Lai, a Harvard-educated doctor turned politician, has described himself as a pragmatic Taiwan independence worker.