Chinese military holds drills around Taiwan to warn ‘external forces’ after US-Japan tensions

China’s military sent air, naval and rocket-launched troops to conduct joint military exercises around the island of Taiwan on Monday – a move Beijing called a “stark warning” against separatist forces and “external interference.”

Taiwan said it was putting its forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the greatest destroyer of peace.”

The first of two days of exercises came after Beijing expressed anger over U.S. arms sales to the territory and a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi saying its military could become involved if China took action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that the world’s second-largest economy says must be subjugated to its rule. The Chinese military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement Monday morning.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in an article on X that rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert to defend the island. In a separate statement, it said it had deployed appropriate forces in response, conducting combat readiness exercises.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s targeted military exercises once again confirm its nature as an aggressor and the greatest destroyer of peace,” the ministry said.

Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, said the exercises would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Shi said activities will focus on air-sea combat readiness patrols, “jointly seizing comprehensive superiority” and blockading key ports. It was also the first large-scale military exercise in which the command publicly mentioned that one of the objectives was “deterrence in all dimensions outside the island chain.”

“It is a stern warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated under its own government ever since, although the mainland government claims it as sovereign territory.

Live-fire exercises expected

The command deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as long-range rockets, to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait on Monday. It also conducted live fire exercises against targets in the waters. Exercises to test air-sea coordination and target-hunting capabilities were also conducted in the waters and airspace east of the strait.

Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of intelligence staff of Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. local time on Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating around the strait, of which 67 were entering the “response zone” – the airspace under the force’s surveillance and response. At sea, the ministry detected 14 navy vessels around the strait and four other warships in the western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.

Military exercises are expected to continue on Tuesday.

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait…does not just mean military pressure on us. This could have more complex impact and challenges for the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh told reporters.

The command published thematic posters about the exercises online, accompanied by provocative terms. One poster depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. His social media post said the exercises were about “the shield of justice, breaking the illusion”, adding that any foreign intruders or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions on 20 US defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington’s announcement. large-scale arms sales in Taiwan, valued at over 10 billion US dollars. If approved by the US Congress, it would be the largest ever US weapons program in the self-governing territory.

Under U.S. federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to help Taipei in its defense – a point that is increasingly controversial with China. The United States and Taiwan maintained formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when the administration of President Jimmy Carter recognized and established relations with Beijing.

Taiwanese army on alert

Monday’s exercises heightened tensions on both sides. Karen Kuo, a spokesperson for the Taiwan President’s Office, said the operation undermined the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, and openly challenged international order and law.

“Our country strongly condemns Chinese authorities for ignoring international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” she said.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry released a video showcasing its weapons and forces in a display of resilience. Several French Mirage-2000 planes made landings at an air base.

Beijing sends warplanes and warships to the island almost daily, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises. In October, the Taiwanese government announced that it would accelerate the construction of a “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of the Chinese military threat.

The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “crashing waves and howling winds”, during a trip to Shanghai.