International condemnation of the CCP’s covert military drills near Taiwan

FORUM Staff, wire report

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces deployed 153 aircraft in mid-October 2024 military exercises around Taiwan, the self-governed island said, adding that such drills without warning endanger the region.

The CCP said the one-day drill, conducted without notice, was a warning against “separatist acts” a week after a speech by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and threatens to annex the island by force. Taipei says that only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

“Any drills without prior warning will cause great disturbance to peace and stability in the entire region,” Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said. “China’s drills not only affect Taiwan’s neighborhood, but also seriously affect the entire international navigational rights and air and sea space, so attracted the attention of other countries.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported 28 CCP aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, which serves as an unofficial demarcation between Taiwan and mainland China. Beijing does not recognize the median line.

The CCP also staged military drills off Taiwan’s southeastern coast, home to a major air base, and to its southwest near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.

The Defense Ministry spotted 14 Chinese navy ships and 12 “official” Chinese vessels, referring to coast guard and other agencies’ ships.

The drills drew condemnation from the United States and its Allies, with the U.S. Defense Department calling them “irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing.”

Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department urged the CCP to cease its intimidation, stating that “differences should be resolved through dialogue, not the threat or use of force or coercion.”

Japan conveyed its concerns to Beijing about the exercises, an official said, and the United Kingdom called for restraint and avoiding actions that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has reported almost daily Chinese military activity nearby in the past five years, including at least four large-scale drills since 2022.

The exercises, however, have solidified support for Taipei, said Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard.

“China’s exercise, while intended to put military pressure on Taiwan and the international community, has backfired and led to greater international solidarity against China’s expansionist behavior,” she posted on social media. “Cross-Strait relations are no longer just cross-Strait relations; they are now at the heart of international relations in the Indo-Pacific.”

Taiwan’s Justice Ministry said it identified false online reports, such as untrue assertions about the island’s military response. The messages were “cognitive manipulation” by “overseas hacking armies” that stole or hacked into social media pages, officials said.

“Mainland China should become a civilized power in the world, be a friend, not an enemy, and be liked by everyone, not feared by them,” said Luo Wen-jia, head of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, which deals with day-to-day relations between Taipei and Beijing.