The Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China announced that the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday.
The exercises are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait, and in the north, south, and east of Taiwan Island, as well as around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin. Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, stated that the army, navy, air force, and rocket force of the theater command are involved in the drills, which are code-named Joint Sword-2024A and will run from Thursday to Friday.
The drills focus on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets. Li noted that the exercises include the patrol of vessels and planes near Taiwan and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the command’s joint real combat capabilities.
Li also mentioned that the drills serve as a punishment for the separatist acts of “Taiwan independence” forces and a warning against interference and provocation by external forces.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense condemned the exercise on Thursday afternoon, stating that China’s actions jeopardize regional peace and stability.
“We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one to ensure our nation’s safety and protect our beautiful homeland,” the ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The ministry regularly posts updates on the number of Chinese aircraft and warships operating near Taiwan but had released no details of activity around the island as of Thursday afternoon.