Update: Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it detected 42 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft between 6 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday, including Shaanxi KJ-500 early warning and control aircraft, Shaanxi Y-9 military transport aircraft, Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, Shenyang J-11 fighter jets, Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, and SU-30 fighter jets. Twenty-six of them crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has launched military air and sea exercises around Taiwan following Vice President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) return to the country from a trip abroad that included two stopovers in the U.S.
According to the PLA Eastern Theater Command, China launched maritime and air joint combat readiness patrols around Taiwan. The forces conducted joint exercises to coordinate operations between ships and aircraft. The drills aim to assess the joint capabilities of the theater command's forces, it said.
The joint exercise also serves as a warning against the “collaboration and provocation of the separatist forces advocating ‘Taiwan independence,’” the command said. Multiple naval vessels including destroyers, frigates, missile boats, and fighter jets, early warning aircraft, and electronic warfare aircraft were joined with missile units from the rocket force to perform rapid maneuvers and carry out their missions, it added.
Speaking to Taiwan News after the drills were announced, independent security analyst Ben Lewis said that so far, the PLA has not announced a defined length or geographic area, so it is possible the drills will be small. “But that could change as more info comes out, right now we know almost nothing,” he said.
The drills follow Lai’s return from a weeklong international trip centered around the inauguration of Paraguay’s recently elected president, Santiago Pena. Lai made a stopover in New York and San Francisco during the trip, drawing condemnation from Beijing, who labeled the vice president a “separatist” in response.
PLA ETC video of military exercises around Taiwan. https://t.co/rT3pe2K3hD
— Ben Lewis 〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 (@OfficialBen_L) August 19, 2023
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) responded to the drills just after 3 p.m. on Saturday. He said it was clear China is trying to influence the outcome of Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, in which Lai is a candidate.
“It’s up to our citizens to decide, not the bully next door. Look, China should hold its own elections. I’m sure its people would be thrilled,” Wu wrote on X.
On Thursday (Aug. 17) the U.S. Navy said the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was operating in the ocean east of Taiwan. Also on Thursday, Lewis said the ship’s presence appeared to be a standard “'we are here and paying attention' signal from Washington to Taipei and Beijing.”
Lewis said U.S. carrier groups are an “incredibly capable force,” and have been seen as the main obstacle to the PLA’s naval operations.
In addition to the drills, nine PLAAF aircraft and six PLAN ships were detected around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (Aug. 18) and 6 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 19), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.
So far this month, there have been 211 military aircraft and 123 naval ship sorties around Taiwan. The military dispatched combat air patrol aircraft, navy ships, and land-based missile systems to monitor the situation, the MND said in a statement.
This latest exercise comes as the U.S., Japan, and South Korea reiterated the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait and pledged to deepen trilateral military cooperation.
