Following President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech on May 20, the People’s Republic of China’s Eastern Theater Command carried out a two-day joint military exercise around Taiwan under the codename “Operation Sword Unite-2024A” starting from Thursday (May 23), sparking condemnation from across the political spectrum in Taiwan and international backlash. Two Taiwan experts noted that the Chinese Communist Party’s military pressure this time has proven to be ineffective.
In response to the provocative military exercises by the People’s Republic of China in the vicinity of Taiwan, the U.S. Department of Defense and the State Department issued identical statements on Thursday (May 23), strongly urging Beijing to exercise restraint and stating that Taiwan’s political transition should not be used as an excuse or rationale for “provocative or coercive actions.” The statements warned that “actions carry an escalating risk and erode the long-standing norms that have maintained regional peace and stability for decades.”
The European External Action Service (EEAS) issued a statement yesterday expressing its concerns about the heightened military activities by the People’s Republic of China around Taiwan, which have intensified tension in the Taiwan Strait.
The statement emphasized that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity. Maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is a direct interest of the European Union. The EU opposes any unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo through force or coercion and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that could further escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait, reiterating that cross-strait issues should be resolved through dialogue.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) issued a strong statement condemning Beijing’s unjustified escalation against Taiwan following President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration.
The statement criticized the Chinese Communist Party for its violent rhetoric towards Taiwan, including references to “broken bones” and “bloodshed,” as well as threats from state media to “punish” the newly elected President Lai Ching-te, coupled with the military exercises by the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command. These actions were deemed as “an insult to regional peace and a direct challenge to the international community.”
“When Beijing tests the waters of international reaction, those who are committed to the stability of the Taiwan Strait must not stand idly by,” PIPA stated, stressing that “Taiwan’s security is our security, and maintaining the status quo is in the interest of the entire world.”
Retired Major General and former Dean of the Political Warfare College at National Defense University, Yu Zongji, noted in an interview with Epoch Times that the PLA announced military exercises around Taiwan three days after Lai Ching-te took office, using the codename “2024A,” indicating its intention to continue such activities. This exercise appears to be the beginning of military pressure on the new Taiwan government, testing Taiwan and the international community’s reactions before making adjustments.
Yu Zongji believed that the scope of the PLA exercise this time is slightly wider than the one following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan two years ago, including the outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin. However, in the eastern region, it has been scaled back to avoid affecting Japan, as the missile launches by the PLA during Pelosi’s visit caused a significant backlash in Japan. Furthermore, international flights have not been significantly affected, indicating the absence of live-fire exercises.
He stated that the PLA’s military exercises have had little effect. “The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an internationally-led alliance with members from over thirty European countries, strongly condemned China (the CCP), and its actions had a limited impact within Taiwan but resulted in greater backlash internationally.”
Yu Zongji emphasized that the global situation is now characterized by a new cold war confrontation, with a clear division between the democratic camp led by the United States and the evil axis led by the Chinese Communist Party. Taiwan, positioned at the center of the U.S.-led first island chain’s geopolitical strategy, has become a contested area.
Military expert and Deputy Researcher at the National Policy Foundation, Li Zhengxiu, told Epoch Times on May 24 that regarding Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech, various countries believe that he did not cross any red lines or deliberately provoke the mainland. The Chinese Communist Party’s use of military exercises to respond to Lai Ching-te’s inauguration is seen as a unilateral attempt to disrupt the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which is unacceptable to various countries. Particularly, Taiwan is regarded by various nations as crucial to high-tech and semiconductor supply chains. If Taiwan were to be disrupted or controlled by the CCP, it would deal a fatal blow to global economic and technological development.
He believed that Xi Jinping’s approach has made countries pay more attention to the peace and security of the Taiwan Strait. “If the Taiwan Strait issue is resolved peacefully and with the consent of the Taiwanese people, then there is no reason for any country to intervene. On the contrary, the way the CCP uses coercive force is unacceptable to countries, and the CCP’s actions backfire.”
Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council, Liang Wenjie, expressed strong protest and dissatisfaction with the Chinese military exercises during a press conference on Thursday, demanding that China cease its irrational military provocations.
Recent polls by the Mainland Affairs Council show that over 92.6% of Taiwan residents do not approve of continued Chinese military activities near Taiwan.
The Chairman of the Kuomintang, the largest opposition party, Zhu Lilun, also called on the mainland Chinese government to exercise restraint with the utmost seriousness, avoid escalating tensions, cherish the achievements of cross-strait peaceful development, and jointly maintain regional stability. Mainstream public opinion in Taiwan opposes any attempts to change the status quo by force. The erroneous signals sent by Beijing’s military exercises have harmed the prospects of cross-strait peaceful development.
The People First Party condemned in its statement that the Chinese Communist Party’s military harassment undermines stability in the Taiwan Strait, further widening the divide between both sides and called for an end to actions that disrupt stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Yu Zongji remarked that even parties in Taiwan usually more pro-China have condemned the baseless provocations by the CCP, illustrating a unanimous opposition within Taiwan against China’s attempts to provoke Taiwan militarily despite serious political differences.
He suggested that the vast majority of young people in Taiwan have a high awareness of Taiwan’s security and overwhelmingly reject the CCP’s communist leadership. The key now is how Taiwan can consolidate internal consensus and form a united front externally.
Li Zhengxiu stated that Taiwan is actively preparing to counter the mainland’s military ambitions against Taiwan.
“The opposition parties, the Kuomintang and the People First Party, hope for peaceful coexistence across the strait but will support Taiwan in strengthening its defense capabilities while building good relations with the United States, the European Union, and other countries. On the one hand, preparing for self-defense capacity, and on the other hand, seeking to resolve differences through dialogue are equally important. Both sides cannot continue an arms race across the strait but also cannot abandon their own principles.”
On the day of the CCP’s military provocation around Taiwan, the three major A-share indices experienced collective declines, with the Shanghai Composite Index falling by over 1.5%, retreating to near the 3100-point level. The Hong Kong stock market also weakened, with the Hang Seng Index and the Heng Seng Technology Index opening lower and falling by over 2% during the trading session. Meanwhile, the Taiwan stock market closed steadily, with the weighted index closing at 21,607 points, up 55 points, a 0.26% increase.
On the 24th, the Hang Seng Index and the Shanghai Composite Index continued to fall, while the Taiwan stock market opened lower before rebounding.
Yu Zongji noted that the CCP’s military exercises are too frequent, with diminishing marginal utility to the point that they have had almost no impact on normal life in Taiwan or on stock market trends. “Its acts of intimidation have not generated significant effects within Taiwan but have instead sparked greater economic concerns within China. From the perspective of effectiveness, its influence on its own internal affairs is relatively greater than that of Taiwan.”
As tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait, President Lai Ching-te visited the “Naval Marine Corps 66th Brigade,” tasked with defending the capital region, for the first time on May 23 as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He emphasized that the international community is closely watching democratic Taiwan, and in the face of external challenges and threats, Taiwan will continue to defend the values of freedom and democracy and safeguard regional peace and stability.
Yu Zongji remarked that insiders understand that President Lai Ching-te’s inspection of the Naval Marine Corps 66th Brigade, one of Taiwan’s two critical strike forces, is a more resolute preparatory action. “While expressing goodwill towards China, the new president is also strengthening the force of the troops to ensure the safety of all Taiwanese citizens.”