China stages massive military drills near Taiwan, warns of ‘severe punishment’
China’s military launched large-scale drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, issuing what it called a “severe warning” and a message of “forceful containment against Taiwan independence,” according to Beijing officials.
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China’s military launched large-scale drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, issuing what it called a “severe warning” and a message of “forceful containment against Taiwan independence,” according to Beijing officials. The unannounced exercises involved China’s navy, air force, ground troops, and rocket forces, marking another escalation in cross-strait tensions.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported that 19 Chinese navy vessels were detected in the waters surrounding the island from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. Defense officials also confirmed tracking the movements of China’s **Shandong** aircraft carrier since Saturday, noting that its carrier group had entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday. In response, Taiwan scrambled military aircraft and ships and activated land-based missile systems.
“China’s blatant military provocations not only threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the entire region, as evidenced by drills near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the South China Sea,” Taiwan’s Presidential Office wrote on X. “We strongly condemn China’s escalatory behavior.”
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo denounced Beijing’s actions, stating, **”I want to say these actions amply reflect (China’s) destruction of regional peace and stability.”**
China’s **Xinhua News Agency** reported that the **Eastern Theater Command** conducted “multi-subject drills in waters to the north, south, and east of Taiwan Island.” The exercises involved coordinated operations among naval vessels, aircraft, conventional missile troops, and long-range rocket launch systems. According to the theater command, the drills simulated **”air interception, assault on maritime targets, strikes on ground objects, and joint blockade and control.”**
Beijing framed the exercises as a direct response to Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, a strong advocate of the island’s independence.
“Lai Ching-te stubbornly insists on a ‘Taiwan independence’ stance, brazenly labeling the mainland as a ‘foreign hostile force,’ and has put forward a so-called ‘17-point strategy’ … stirring up anti-China sentiments,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office declared. “We will not tolerate or condone this in any way and must resolutely counter and severely punish these actions.”
The latest military maneuvers highlight China’s growing assertiveness toward Taiwan, adding to fears of a potential conflict in the region.
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