China Surrounds Taiwan, Taiwan Deploys Defenses
China began conducting “punishment” military drills surrounding Taiwan on Thursday in response to the inauguration speech delivered on Monday by new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
Inauguration: Lai is one of the most anti-China presidents in Taiwan’s recent history. In his speech, he emphasized Taiwan’s independence, sovereignty and commitment to democracy.
The Chinese Communist Party (ccp) claims sovereignty over Taiwan and deems Lai’s election and inauguration as “separatist acts.” On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Lai “disgraceful.”
Drills: China’s current “Joint Sword 2024A” drills are reminiscent of those of August 2022, which China staged in response to former United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. They also echo those China held in April 2023, after former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visited former U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy. However, the current drills mark the first time China has held war games around Taiwan’s Dongyin, Kinmen, Matsu and Wuqiu islands.
https://x.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1793590454338080894
Li Xi, spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, said the drills are focused on:
- Joint precision strikes on key targets
- Joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control
- Sea-to-air combat readiness patrol
The drills are simulating a full-scale attack on the Taiwanese islands, testing Beijing’s readiness for war.
Designed to surround Taiwan island from both the east sides and the west side, the ongoing Joint Sword-2024A drills display the pla’s [People’s Liberation Army] strike capability across all directions of the island without any blind spots, forming a situation where the island can be pinned down from both sides.
—The Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin described the drills as a “serious warning” and said: “Taiwan independence forces will be left with their heads broken and blood flowing after colliding against the great … undertaking of China achieving complete unification.”
https://x.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1793530146315792447
Numbers: The drills include the Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force. Taiwan reported:
- 49 Chinese military aircraft—35 of which crossed Taiwan’s median line
- 16 Coast Guard ships
- 15 Navy ships
Many of China’s positions are near vital Taiwanese airfields, ports and waterways.
More to come? The ominous “A” in the name of China’s current drills indicate there could be more to come even after these drills end on Friday. There are rumors that China plans to invade in early June, though those are not confirmed.
Retaliation: Taiwan has begun deploying air, land and naval units, including air defense systems and supersonic Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile batteries around the island.
https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1793684432982835242
The ccp’s military exercises, which highlight its hegemony mindset, have undermined regional peace and stability. [Taiwan’s] Armed Forces stand ready to defend our country. We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one.
—Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense
https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1793486848574345488
Prophesied clash: The Trumpet has long warned that Taiwan will fall to China. The Bible prophesies China will be a key player in an Asian alliance that will dominate a coming nuclear World War iii. Based on these prophecies, and related passages about American weakness, we know Taiwan will not last.
Learn more: Read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s 1998 article “Taiwan Betrayal.”
