The Taiwanese military will conduct live-fire drills later this month along its coast as it simulates attacks from neighboring China.
News of the naval exercises comes on the heels of a weekend warning from China’s new defense minister, Dong Jun, who said, “Whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and invite their destruction.”
The drills also follow large-scale war games started by the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan as “punishment” for Taiwanese separatist forces seeking “independence,” the South China Morning Post reported.
Beijing believes Taiwan must be brought back under its control whether peacefully or by force. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation but are opposed to China using force.
The frosty relationship between Taiwan and China over the past eight years got even colder after Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te took office on May 20. In his inaugural speech, Lai said Taiwan and mainland China “are not subordinate to each other,” a statement that got Beijing’s blood boiling. He also called on Beijing to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.
Three days later, China launched a two-day intense blockade drill around Taiwan, with its military calling it “strong punishment” for the island’s “separatist acts.”
China has long seen Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be folded back under Beijing’s control.
Taiwanese military experts said China’s recent drills were the first time a full-scale attack was simulated. During the military exercise, China surrounded Taiwan from the north, south, and east, as well as its outlying islands, including the outposts of Matsu and Kinmen.
China’s simulated drill on Taiwan’s rugged east coast was designed to serve as a reminder not only to Taipei but also to Western nations how exposed it was to a Chinese attack and the difficulty other nations would have in helping Taiwan.
Taiwan’s June drills will begin with the Eighth Field Command of the island’s army.
They will lead off with a live-fire anti-landing drill on Xishu Beach near Tainan on Wednesday, according to a government notice. A similar drill by the Sixth Field Command, which is based in the north, will take place on June 18 on Zhongfu Beach. On June 26, the 10th Field Command will stage a live-fire anti-landing drill on Caocuo Beach, located near Taichung, the island’s central city. The Matsu Defense Command will stage 10 live-fire drills from June 26 to 29.
The drills will involve land-based weapons, including armored vehicles, anti-tank rockets, and machine guns.
Over the weekend, China upped its anti-U.S. rhetoric, warning countries around the South China Sea to be skeptical of America’s “geopolitical self-interest” and accusing the U.S. of stoking tensions in the region with its support for Taiwan and the Philippines at a global security conference.
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The relationship between the U.S. and China has remained frayed, especially around the topic of Taiwan and the contested waters of the South China Sea.
Both nations have tried to find a middle ground that would prevent tensions from escalating.