China ends war games as Taiwan details warplane, warship surge

TAIPEI – China has ended two days of war games around Taiwan, in which it simulated attacks with bombers and practised boarding ships, exercises that Taipei condemned as “blatant provocation” on May 25 as it detailed a surge of Chinese warplanes and warships.

Chinese state television’s military channel said late on May 24 that the drills had concluded

. A commentary in the official People’s Liberation Army Daily said they lasted for two days from May 23 to May 24, as previously announced.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, launched the “Joint Sword – 2024A” exercises three days after Mr Lai Ching-te – labelled by Beijing as a “separatist” – became Taiwan’s president.

China said the exercises are “punishment”

for his inauguration speech on May 20, in which he said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are “not subordinate to each other”.

Beijing viewed it as a declaration that the two are separate countries.

Mr Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He said only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Taipei has condemned the drills and said it will not be cowed by Chinese pressure.

On May 24, 46 Chinese military planes crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which previously served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said on May 25. It said it detected a total of 62 Chinese aircraft and 27 navy ships.

The planes, including advanced Su-30 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flew over the strait as well as the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, the ministry added.

On May 24, it published footage taken by Taiwanese air force planes of a Chinese J-16 fighter and an H-6 but did not say exactly where it was taken.

Taiwan’s presidential office said on May 25 that China’s military moves undermined the peaceful and stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait. The exercises “also constitute a blatant provocation to the international order, and have aroused serious concern and condemnation from the international community”.

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, whose forces carried out the drills, released a video on its social media accounts, set to stirring martial music.

The words “advance, surround, lock down, attack, destroy and cut off” flash up over footage of fighters, bombers, soldiers and animated mock missile attacks on Taiwan.

China has over the past four years regularly staged military activities around Taiwan, including large-scale war games in 2022 and 2023.

Senior Taiwan lawmaker Wang Ting-yu from Mr Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party said the latest drills appeared to be more about China making a noise than upping the ante, given that it had to respond to Mr Lai’s speech.

“They were comparatively more restrained than previous ones,” Mr Wang, who chairs Parliament’s defence and foreign affairs committee, said on social media.

Still, China has kept up a barrage of invective against Mr Lai.

The People’s Liberation Army Daily commentary, published as “the voice of the military”, said he was determined to act as a “pawn” for external forces to curb China’s development.

“If Taiwan independence separatist forces insist on going their own way or even take risks, the PLA will obey orders and take decisive action to resolutely smash all separatist plots,” it said. REUTERS