China showcases military drill near Taiwan (Video)

The two-day exercise is aimed at deterring the self-governing island from pursuing separatism, according to Beijing.

The Chinese military has published several videos showcasing a two-day exercise carried out near the self-administered Chinese island of Taiwan earlier this week.

Launched by the Eastern Theater Command (ETC) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday, the exercise, designated ‘Strait Thunder’, drew resources from multiple branches of the Chinese armed forces. Command spokesman Shi Yi stated that the maneuvers were focused on “identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention” of various targets. He described the drills as designed to prepare for a potential blockade of Taiwan.

The PLA deployed the Shandong Aircraft Carrier Task Group for the exercise. The domestically produced flagship, commissioned in 2019, carries two dozen Shenyang J-15 naval fighter jets as its primary armament. These were showcased in a video released on Wednesday.

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Another clip from the ETC depicted an early morning alert at military barracks, followed by the deployment of rocket launch systems for a live-fire drill. The video suggested that the weapons could be deployed to directly target Taiwan’s coastline in the event of an armed conflict.

Footage released on Tuesday also featured PLA Air Force aircraft participating in the drill.

Taiwan is governed by an administration rooted in nationalist forces that were defeated by the Communists during the Chinese Civil War in the 1940s. While Washington officially acknowledges Beijing’s sovereignty over the island, it has provided military support to Taipei. Beijing views such arms supplies as encouraging Taiwanese officials to pursue formal independence from China.

“’Taiwan independence’ and peace in the Taiwan Strait are incompatible,” Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang emphasised in a statement on Wednesday. “Pursuing ‘Taiwanese independence’ will only put Taiwan in a dangerous situation and plunge Taiwan compatriots into dire straits.”

Beijing seeks a peaceful reunification but has warned that it is willing to use force to counteract any separatist efforts. The Defense Ministry labelled the government of incumbent President Lai Ching-te as “crisis makers” and “troublemakers” in its remarks about the ‘Strait Thunder’ exercises.