"Serious warning"

China launches another military exercise around Taiwan

This photo released by the Taiwan Coast Guard on October 14, 2024 shows a Taiwan Coast Guard officer on a tanker off Pengjia Island (Keelung) while pointing at a Chinese Coast Guard vessel sailing in the distance outside Taiwan's territorial waters.

(Bild: AFP)

China has once again launched extensive military exercises around Taiwan. In a statement, the Chinese military described the maneuvers as a "serious warning" to the "separatist" forces of the island republic. Ships and aircraft approached from various directions.

There have already been reports in recent days that China could respond to a speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on the occasion of National Day on October 10 with a maneuver.

While the exercise in May was called "Joint-Sword-2024A", the current exercise is referred to as "Joint-Sword-2024B".

"Irrational provocation"
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense called the Chinese exercise an "irrational provocation". It stated that it had sent its own armed forces to "take concrete measures to safeguard freedom and democracy".

Long conflict

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province, although independent and democratically elected governments have always been in power there for decades. The leadership in Beijing has already threatened several times to unite the island, which has a population of more than 23 million, with the mainland using military force.

Most recently in May, China's People's Liberation Army launched a major military exercise around Taiwan. The exercise took place shortly after Lai's inauguration.

His Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election in January and advocates a course that is critical of Beijing. The ruling Communist Party in Beijing accuses the DPP of separatism.