The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense announced on Saturday (July 13) that they are closely monitoring the multiple missile test launches conducted by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force in Inner Mongolia and maintaining a high state of alert. This disclosure marks an unusual move by Taiwan.
While Taiwanese authorities have always closely monitored any military actions by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), they rarely disclose information about military activities observed in mainland China. According to a press release on the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense website, starting from 4 a.m. on Saturday, Taiwanese military units successively detected the CCP Rocket Force’s “multiple rounds of test launches in the Mongolian area.” The Taiwan military is using joint intelligence surveillance methods to “closely grasp and continuously monitor relevant movements.” The air defense units are on high alert, enhancing preparedness and taking appropriate measures.
The Ministry of National Defense did not provide further details about the CCP Rocket Force’s test launches. The reported distance of the launch site from Taiwan is 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles).
In recent years, the CCP has repeatedly vowed to unify Taiwan and openly emphasized not ruling out the option of military attack. This has made the Rocket Force increasingly important for the CCP as it controls conventional missile and land-based nuclear missile programs, including intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. In August 2022, the CCP launched ballistic missiles during military exercises around Taiwan, attempting to intimidate Taiwan in retaliation for former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
According to Reuters, security officials stated that Taiwan has powerful radar stations on some peaks of the Central Mountain Range that can monitor the situation on the mainland of China closely.
The CCP has always claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and opposed Tsai Ing-wen’s presidency. Similar to her predecessor, President Tsai Ing-wen, the current President, Tsai Ing-wen, refuses to accept the CCP’s sovereignty claims and states that only the people of Taiwan can determine their future. In his inaugural speech in May, Tsai expressed hope for peaceful coexistence with mainland China and urged the CCP to cease military threats and intimidation towards Taiwan. Tsai has repeatedly proposed dialogues with the Chinese side, all of which have been rejected.
Just three days after President Tsai’s inauguration, the CCP launched military exercises around Taiwan, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.
The CCP Rocket Force conducting missile tests in Inner Mongolia on Saturday has garnered attention in recent years. The CCP authorities have been conducting a significant purge of the Rocket Force since last year. Bloomberg reported in January this year, citing sources familiar with the matter, that U.S. intelligence indicated issues with the quality of China’s missile production and the overall quality of core military assets, leading to the CCP’s cleansing of the military.
One source stated that U.S. intelligence assessments highlighted several examples of corruption within the CCP military, including missiles being filled with water instead of fuel and the ineffective missile launch shaft covers in a large area in western China.
This has raised doubts about the actual combat capability of the CCP military. U.S. officials even assessed that this could make the likelihood of the CCP considering significant military actions in the coming years less probable.