Although Taiwan drills achieved their objectives, the Chinese military is prepared for more action

A spokesman for the defense ministry stated on Thursday that although China’s military met its “expected goals” during the two days of maneuvers around Taiwan last week, it is ready to take additional action if provoked.

China, which considers democratically run Taiwan to be its own territory, held two days of war simulations on the island after President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing refers to as a “separatist,” took office.

Following hours of Taiwan’s warning that Beijing was attempting to “nibble away” at its territory and establish a new normal through exercises and other actions to put pressure on Lai’s new administration, the comments on Thursday were made.

“A measure to contain aggressive Taiwanese independence and separatist activities and a warning against foreign interference,” People’s Liberation Army spokeswoman Wu Qian stated in Beijing regarding the joint drills.

“Our expected goals have been achieved,” he declared at a press conference.

Wu continued, promising “stronger countermeasures” by the military against any future actions by “separatist” forces. “We are confident that despite turbulence and changes in the outside situation, we will deal with everything with ease,” Wu said.

Taiwan said on Wednesday that Chinese jets and warships conducted a “joint combat readiness patrol,” despite the fact that the drills have officially completed but China’s military operations have not.

Asserting that “the Chinese communists’ pressure on Taiwan is all encompassing, especially diplomatically,” Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung addressed reporters at the legislature.

The minister said Taiwan suffers significant barriers in its attempts to attend international gatherings, including a significant World Health Organization meeting this week that it was excluded from.

Taiwan is kept out of most international organizations by Chinese coercion. The Taipei government vehemently disagrees with China’s assertion that Taiwan is one of its provinces and does not have the right to statehood.

Lin brought up additional measures taken by China, including the unilateral opening of new air routes near Taiwan-controlled islands adjacent to the Chinese coast and the deployment of coast guard ships to Taiwan’s east coast during drills held last week.

“The Chinese communists are continuing to change the status quo,” he stated. “They are creating a new normal, pressing on at every stage, trying to nibble away and annex (us).”

During a regular press conference on Wednesday, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reaffirmed its concerns on Lai’s perceived danger as a proponent of Taiwan’s formal independence and warned to escalate Chinese military actions.
China has rejected Lai’s repeated invitations to hold negotiations. He asserts that the future belongs to the people of Taiwan.

Taiwan, according to China, is an internal matter only.

Lin stated that everyone was concerned about stability.

“The cross-Strait issue is not only about the Strait; it’s a regional, or even global matter,” he said.

Taiwan asserts that the Republic of China, its current independent nation, already exists. 1949 saw the Republican government retreat to Taiwan following a civil war against the Communists led by Mao Zedong, who had established the People’s Republic of China.