China Launches Surprise Military Drills Around Taiwan

China announced immediate military drills around Taiwan on Thursday morning, just days after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as president in Taipei. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) stated that the exercises commenced at 7:45 a.m. and would encircle Taiwan to the north, east, and south, including the Taiwan Strait and the islands of Kinmen, Mazu, and Dongyin. These drills are set to continue through Thursday and Friday.

In response to the announcement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense expressed regret over what it termed “irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability.”

Lai, who belongs to the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was inaugurated as Taiwan’s leader on Monday. During his inaugural speech, he called for Beijing to acknowledge Taiwan’s existence and asserted that “the Republic of China and People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other,” using the formal names of both sides.

On Monday and Tuesday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected a total of 15 People’s Liberation Army Navy ships and four China Coast Guard vessels operating around Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory despite never having controlled it and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-governing democratic island under its control. Beijing considers Lai a “separatist,” and this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi labeled him “disgraceful.”

This latest round of military pressure comes amid an escalating race for supremacy between China and the U.S. In the summer of 2022, China conducted live-fire military drills around Taiwan following the visit of then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Significant drills were also carried out in 2023.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense criticized the exercises, stating: “In recent years, the CCP has continued to send aircraft and ships to harass [Taiwan], causing substantial damage to global peace and stability. This pretext for conducting military exercises not only does not contribute to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait but also highlights its hegemonic nature.”

The ministry added that Taiwan’s sea, air, and ground forces will be deployed in response, taking practical actions to “protect freedom, democracy, and the sovereignty of the Republic of China.”