OUR China did today a simulation of a “precise strike” in Taiwan on the second day of the “total encirclement” military exercise, which will last until tomorrow, Monday, and was presented by Beijing as a “serious warning” to the authorities of the island after its president met with a senior American official in the United States.

The exercise, dubbed “Joint Sword”, was strongly condemned by Taiwan, and the US urged Beijing to show “restraint”, saying that channels of communication with China remain “open”.

The exercise followed Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday, where Beijing promised to respond with “strong and decisive” measures.

These military exercises “focus on the ability to control the sea, airspace and information (…) to create deterrence and total encirclement” of Taiwan, state-run Chinese television reported yesterday Saturday.

What the Ministry of Defense of the island reports

Today, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected 9 Chinese warships and 58 aircraft around the island, while yesterday it detected the same number of ships and 71 aircraft.

The ministry noted that it was tracking the movements of the Chinese military through a “joint intelligence and reconnaissance system” and specified that fighters and bombers were among the aircraft seen as of noon local time (07:00 Greek time).

Also today, the Chinese military simulated “pinpoint strikes” against “key targets on the island of Taiwan and adjacent waters” using dozens of aircraft and soldiers, according to Chinese state television.

The exercise “serves as a strong warning against collusion and provocative actions between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and outside forces,” Chinese military spokesman Xi Yi warned yesterday.

Beijing’s dissatisfaction with the US-Taiwan rapprochement

China is displeased with the rapprochement in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States, which, despite the absence of official relations, provides the island with significant military support.

For Beijing, these military exercises are a “necessity” to score “political points” with the Chinese population, James Sarr, an expert on the Chinese military at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told AFP.

However, according to Sar, an escalation of the same intensity as in August 2022 seems to be ruled out in advance. He noted that Beijing is trying to “warm up” its relations with Europe and was waiting for the end of the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron before starting its military exercises.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}