China carries out reunification mock drill, sends out strong message to Taiwan: Report

Amid growing tension between Taiwan and China, reports have claimed that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) held a large-scale joint exercise recently and surrounded the island of Taiwan from both sides, sending a strong warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces. 

As per The Global Times, the PLA exercise that featured powerful aircrafts and warplanes, was a partial rehearsal of a possible 'reunification-by-force operation', including the neutralisation of the military potential of forces on the island and the cutting off of possible military intervention from countries like the US and Japan. 

This comes three days after 18 Chinese military aircraft invaded Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). According to the Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan, 18 Chinese aircraft - six J-11 fighter jets, six J-16 fighter jets, two Xi'an H-6 bombers, two KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft invaded the airspace, reported Taiwan news. The Y-8 ASW and two H-6 bombers flew around the southwest and southeast corners of Taiwan's ADIZ while the other planes entered from the southwest region, which has witnessed the most incursions since the military began reporting them in September 2020, according to Taiwan news. Repeating its retaliation strategy, Taiwan's Air Force dispatched aircraft, issued radio warnings and deployed air defence missile systems to track the Chinese aircraft, the report further added.

On April 30, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence claimed that two Russian-made Su-30 fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) entered the country's air defence identification zone (ADIZ)

In another recent development, US Department of State on May 9 had struck off the statement acknowledging Beijing’s “one China” position from its official website. It deleted 'Taiwan is part of China,' statement and the document now opens with a line, “As a leading democracy and a technological powerhouse, Taiwan is a key US partner in the Indo-Pacific.” Earlier, the US state department website acknowledged that there is but 'one China' and 'Taiwan is part of China,' and said that the US “does not support Taiwan independence.” 

Taiwan-China tensions 

It is important to note that Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a country in East Asia that shares maritime boundaries with China. Earlier, it was a part of China but, during a civil war, it was divided and formed two self-governing entities-- the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). Despite the split, China constitutionally considers Taiwan as its integral part under its "One China Policy". According to a recent US report, it claimed that Beijing would force the democratic Island to negotiate on its terms by 2027. The US Department of Defence released a report in the first week of November titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" and has warned the Taiwanese government to take "extra care" of its territories.

China's ruling Communist Party has threatened to use force if Taiwan, that recognises itself a sovereign, independent nation, declared independence. As Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine, China’s foreign ministry assumed a hardened tone against the West, reiterating that Taiwan "is not Ukraine." The Chinese foreign ministry remark came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson flagged the risk of Ukraine style Taiwan invasion by Beijing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dismissed such provocations, saying that “Taiwan is not Ukraine."

Image: AP