Beijing confirms what Taiwan already knew: PLA did combat test near island last week
Days after island leader called mainland a ‘foreign hostile force’, Taiwan reported 59 PLA aircraft and 9 naval vessels nearby
The admission on Thursday is a rare instance of Beijing confirming a large-scale joint exercise near the island only after its completion rather than a declaration before military manoeuvres are under way.
The “combat readiness patrol and joint exercise” drill was carried out “in recent days” by the naval and air forces of the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees the Taiwan Strait, according to Beijing defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian.
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The drill was meant “to test and enhance the combat capabilities of the troops”, Wu said on Thursday.
“This is a powerful punishment for ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a serious warning to external interference forces. It is completely legitimate and necessary,” he said.
In his strongest rhetoric yet amid rising cross-strait tensions, Lai announced 17 measures on March 13, citing threats from the mainland while referring to Beijing as a “hostile foreign force”. The measures include reinstating a military court system, establishing a “disclosure mechanism” for officials visiting the mainland and tightening residency criteria for individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
It was the most aircraft sent since October 15, when 153 PLA aircraft were reported near the island. At that time, the mainland carried out its two-day Joint Sword 2024B military exercise after Lai gave a defiant speech asserting the two sides were “not subordinate to each other” and that Beijing had no authority to represent the island.