China has launched military exercises around Taiwan, describing them as a warning to “separatist forces” and referring to the self-governing island’s president as a parasite. The drills, which included army, navy, air and rocket forces and the coastguard, took place in the northern, southern and eastern waters around Taiwan.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Eastern Theater Command said the forces would close in on the island from multiple directions and practise assaulting targets on land and sea and blockading key areas and sea lanes. The command, which is responsible for China’s military operations in the Taiwan Strait, said the exercises would also involve training for “multidirectional precision strikes” around Taiwan.
“This is a stern warning and a strong deterrent to the separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence’, and is a legitimate and necessary action to defend national sovereignty and safeguard national unity,” spokesman Colonel Shi Yi said.
This week’s drills, which began on Tuesday, are the second China has staged around the island since Taiwan’s president William Lai last month referred to Beijing as a “hostile, foreign force”. Mr Lai announced 17 new security measures including the reintroduction of a military court system, a requirement for public officials to report visits to the mainland and restrictions on people from Hong Kong and Macau moving to Taiwan.
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The Eastern Theatre Command released four videos alongside the announcement of the drill, one of which depicted Mr Lai as a bug suspended by chopsticks over a burning Taiwan.
“Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction,” the animation said.
Taiwan condemned the Chinese drills as reckless and irresponsible, saying they were in breach of international law and should be condemned by democratic governments. Officials in Taipei said they had not detected any use of live fire in the military exercises, unlike in drills Beijing launched near the island after Mr Lai’s inauguration as president last May.
During visits to the Philippines and Japan last week, United States defence secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to “deterring communist Chinese military aggression”. He said the US would ensure “credible deterrence” across the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing on Tuesday condemned fresh sanctions imposed by Washington in response to the Hong Kong authorities’ pursuit of 19 former democracy activists who now live outside the country. Those sanctioned in the latest round include Hong Kong’s justice secretary Paul Lam and the city’s outgoing police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee.
“The so-called sanctions imposed by the US government against me do not affect me at all. They do not affect my work, they do not affect my life,” Mr Lam said.
“The unilateral sanctions imposed by the US government are completely against the fundamental principles of international law and international relations; they represent blatant tyrannical bullying intended to deter people from participating in safeguarding national security.”
Beijing introduced a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong in 2020 following pro-democracy protests the previous year and hundreds of people have been prosecuted under the legislation. Last November, a Hong Kong court sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists, former legislators and journalists to up to 10 years in prison for attempting to organise a primary in advance of elections to the city’s legislature.
The authorities have issued arrest warrants for democracy activists who fled overseas after the national security crackdown, in some cases offering bounties for information leading to their arrests. Those targeted include one American citizen and four others living in the US.
“The specified absconders mentioned in the US statement are wanted and have arrest warrants issued by the court against them not because they ‘exercised their freedom of speech’, but because they have been at large in the US, the United Kingdom and Australia, etc and continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security,” a Hong Kong government spokesman said.
