China's Military Drills Around Taiwan Are More Extensive Than Those Prompted By Pelosi

China's Two-Day Encircling Drills Around Taiwan

As part of its two-day encircling drills around Taiwan, China's military has sent approximately 30 aircraft towards the island on Thursday. Most of these crossed the Median Line in the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan's military has deployed warships to monitor the situation, as around a dozen PLA naval ships have also surrounded the self-governed island. Taipei officials have reported the sighting of an additional dozen Chinese coast guard ships near Taiwan's disputed outlying islands. PLA Naval Colonel Li Xi has described the exercises as "a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces."

Previous PLA Drills

As we previously reported, these large-scale drills were initiated just a few days after Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, took office at the beginning of the week. Beijing has labelled Lai a "dangerous separatist" who will bring about future "war and decline" for Taiwan, which China has long claimed as its own territory.

Details of the Drills

Chinese state television has provided a description of the drills. Dozens of Chinese fighter jets carrying live ammunition conducted mock strikes against “high-value military targets” of the “enemy.” This was done alongside destroyers, frigates and missile speedboats, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV. The broadcaster also reported that multiple destroyer and frigate formations of the Eastern Theater Command Navy “maneuvered at high speed in multiple directions in the waters surrounding Taiwan, creating an omnidirectional approach in pushing toward the island.” Dozens of fighter jets were also observed near the outlying islands which include Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin in the East China Sea.

Analyst's Perspective

Regional analyst Arnaud Bertrand has stated that these ongoing two-day exercises are actually larger in scale and scope compared to those which took place in August 2022, in reaction to then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan.

Comparison of Military Drills

These are significant military exercises by China around Taiwan, with more "exclusion zones" that are larger in scale than the exercises triggered by Pelosi's visit and closer to the island. They are essentially demonstrating that they can completely blockade the islands, with the zones placed in front of Taiwan's biggest ports, as well as protect the mainland at the same time. This is not a sign of imminent war, but simply a reaction to Lai's presidential inauguration speech where he hinted at significant changes to the status quo towards independence.

Final Thoughts

This is a compelling example of China's military might and its determination to assert its claim over Taiwan. It's interesting to see how these exercises have escalated in response to political developments. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you think these exercises are a sign of imminent conflict or simply a show of force? Share this article with your friends and let us know what you think. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.