PLA conducts major drill near Taiwan

The People's Liberation Army conducted on Monday a large-scale, interservice exercise surrounding China's island of Taiwan, sending a clear warning to "Taiwan independence" separatists and external forces meddling in the Taiwan question.

During the exercise named "Justice Mission 2025", which began on Monday morning, the PLA Eastern Theater Command mobilized fighter jets, bombers, early-warning planes, drones, long-range rocket launchers, short-range ballistic missile launchers, amphibious landing craft, destroyers and frigates.

Troops and hardware were sent to carry out air and sea patrols, live-fire shelling, simulated precision strikes and air combat, anti-submarine maneuvers and information support operations.

According to video clips published by the command, some of the PLA's best assets, such as the J-20 stealth fighter and the DF-17 hypersonic ballistic missile system, were deployed in the exercise.

The clips also show H-6K bombers, carrying YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles under their wings, taking off from an air base, and short-range ballistic missiles being erected to simulate large-scale strikes.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command, said on Monday morning that "Justice Mission 2025" would include air and sea patrols, simulated suppression of hostile forces and blockading of critical ports and zones, and battlefield periphery deterrence, and "is intended to test our forces' joint combat capabilities".

Aircraft and warships were to conduct exercises near the island of Taiwan from multiple directions, while units from different PLA branches would simulate joint strikes, the spokesman noted, adding that these moves would examine the troops' capabilities in rapid, all-dimensional deployment and omnidirectional blockade and control.

Shi stressed that the exercise was a stern warning against "Taiwan independence" separatists and external forces attempting to interfere in the Taiwan question, as well as a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity.

The latest military action came in the wake of the United States' announcement earlier this month of a large-scale arms sale package, totaling $11.1 billion, that was planned for Taiwan. The arms plan covers eight kinds of weapons, including HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, anti-tank missiles, loitering munition drones and parts for other equipment.

The Eastern Theater Command disclosed in one of the video clips released on Monday evening that long-range rocket units from multiple group armies were deployed in the exercise. Footage showed a system operator with one of the units reporting to his commanders that "target information of (a) HIMARS rocket launcher has been received".

In another clip, titled "So close and so beautiful, (we can) get to Taipei anytime", the command released footage taken by its reconnaissance drone of the landmark Taipei 101 building, and other scenes of Taiwan recorded by pilots.

The command also published two themed posters that show artistic renderings of what appear to be US aircraft and vessels blocked outside the island of Taiwan. On the posters, what appear to be US C-130 transport planes, Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are depicted turning back from their original routes toward Taiwan after finding incoming missiles and figurative metal shields from the PLA — depictions that apparently have metaphorical implications.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, said, "External forces have repeatedly crossed the line on the Taiwan question recently, attempting to embolden and support 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, exacerbating cross-strait antagonism and confrontation, severely undermining China's sovereignty and security, and seriously damaging peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

"The Lai Ching-te administration (of the Taiwan region), by unreservedly catering to and aligning with external forces, recklessly provokes with its pursuit of 'independence', becoming the root cause of disruption to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the source of escalating tensions," Zhang said.

Chen Guiqing, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Taiwan Studies, said the exercise was a direct response to the recent arms deal between the US and Taiwan.

"The military drills not only showcase the PLA's ability to precisely strike Taiwan's 'independence' forces, but also send a clear signal to external, interfering forces that the PLA can prevent outside intervention in the Taiwan Strait. More and more people in Taiwan will realize that seeking 'independence' through force is a dead end, and pursuing 'independence' by relying on external forces leads to an even more hopeless path," Chen said.

Meng Xiangqing, a professor at PLA National Defense University, said that, based on the exercise map released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command, Monday's drill areas were closer to Taiwan than the 2022 encirclement drills conducted after then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. "The encirclement chain has been tightened, closer and closer, and it underscores the features of full coverage, no blind spots, and an integrated blockade-and-strike approach," he said.

The layout of the five drill areas this time was basically positioned along the island's lifelines, Meng said, adding that two areas were located north of the island and close to the waters off the island's Keelung Port, effectively forming a blockade of the important port.

The professor said that two other areas were located to the south, close to the waters off Kaohsiung, which he said would amount to cutting off the island's largest sea routes and creating a "shut-the-door-and-hit-the-dog" scenario against military bases key to Taiwan's regional forces.

On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a daily news briefing that the PLA exercise was "a severe punishment for Taiwan separatists … and a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity". Lin said that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities stubbornly adhere to the "Taiwan independence" stance, attempt to seek "independence" by leaning on the US, and are turning Taiwan into a "powder keg" and "arsenal".

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, also said on Monday that the Lai Ching-te authorities keep pursuing "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and courting foreign powers "without principle", adding that such actions betray Taiwan's interests.

"They sacrifice Taiwan's economic development and people's well-being to rush down the dangerous path of colluding with external forces for 'independence', provoking tensions and indulging in reckless militarism. This severely undermines cross-Strait relations, threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and harms the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and the vital interests of Taiwan compatriots," he said.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

Jiang Chenglong and Li Shangyi contributed to this story.