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China's military initiated extensive joint exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, deploying army, navy, and rocket forces in what Beijing described as a "stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence." The dramatic escalation follows Taiwan President Lai Ching-Te's characterization of Beijing as a "foreign hostile force" last month.
The Eastern Theater Command announced the drills with unprecedented hostile imagery, depicting President Lai as a "parasite" in propaganda videos. One animation showed Lai as a green cartoon bug held by chopsticks above a burning Taiwan, with captions reading: "Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing Island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction."
Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo condemned the characterization, stating such rhetoric was "not conducive to peace" and "shows their provocative character." Taiwan swiftly responded to the military pressure by dispatching aircraft and vessels and activating land-based missile systems.
"The Chinese Communist Party has continued to increase its military activities around Taiwan and in the Indo-Pacific region... and has become the biggest 'troublemaker' in the international community," Taiwan's Defense Ministry declared in an official statement.
China's Shandong aircraft carrier group entered Taiwan's response area on Monday, with Taiwanese forces tracking 19 Chinese naval vessels in surrounding waters over a 24-hour period. The Eastern Theater Command emphasized that exercises focused on "combat readiness patrols at sea and in the air, seizing comprehensive control, striking maritime and land targets, and imposing blockade controls."
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, described the exercises as "a resolute punishment for the Lai Ching-Te authorities' rampant 'independence' provocations." Meanwhile, China released multiple propaganda videos titled "Closing In" and "Subdue Demons and Vanquish Evils," depicting Chinese forces surrounding Taiwan.
According to Chinese state media Global Times, the drills deliberately lacked a code name to signal that military operations surrounding Taiwan "has become a normal practice." The publication cited National Defence University expert Zhang Chi, who claimed: "Through a series of exercises held in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, the PLA has strongly enhanced its ability to prepare for war and fight battles."
These exercises represent the second major military demonstration in recent weeks, following large-scale drills in mid-March involving numerous drones and ships. China has never renounced using force to bring Taiwan under its control, despite the island's democratic governance and de facto independence maintained for over seven decades since the Chinese Civil War.
