On Monday, October 14th, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held a military exercise around Taiwan, which drew condemnation from the US and European diplomatic departments. The Pentagon also issued a statement strongly criticizing the CCP’s actions as destabilizing and emphasized the US’s deterrent power in the Indo-Pacific region.
The CCP announced the “Joint Sword-2024B” military exercise on Monday morning. Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, stated, “We are closely monitoring the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercise around Taiwan as part of Joint Sword 2024B. Such military pressure tactics are irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing.”
Song Wendie, a global China expert at the Atlantic Council, summarized four points regarding the CCP’s military exercise: there was no 24-hour advance notice, specific coordinates were not disclosed, no end date or time was announced, and they entered within 24 nautical miles of Taiwan.
The US State Department previously criticized the CCP’s military exercise, stating that President Tsai Ing-wen’s Double Ten National Day speech was not an excuse for CCP military intimidation. Tsai supported this stance, expressing in a statement that the speech on October 10th was a long-standing tradition focusing on domestic issues and had historically not elicited a response from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite this, the PRC seized the opportunity to engage in provocative military actions.
Tsai emphasized the strong US deterrent power in the Indo-Pacific, stating that the US’s military presence in the region remains robust, and the Department of Defense is confident in its current military posture and operations in the area.
“The peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait are closely related to the world. We continue to see more countries committed to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. While the PRC’s actions disrupt stability, we will continue to cooperate with allies and partners to advance our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Eastern Theater Command of the CCP stated that the “Joint Sword-2024B” exercise took place in the Taiwan Strait, as well as in the northern, southern, and eastern regions of Taiwan. On Monday, the CCP’s Ministry of National Defense indicated that the exercise was not a repetition of the May “Joint Sword-2024A” exercise but aimed to pressure pro-independence forces, with the potential for more exercises in the future.
President Tsai Ing-wen responded to the CCP’s military exercise, stating, “China’s military exercise today aims to disrupt regional stability and ignore global expectations. While Taiwan remains open to dialogue and exchanges across the strait, we are determined to protect our free and democratic constitutional system.”
Award-winning independent journalist and former Bloomberg tech columnist Tim Culpan stated unequivocally that the CCP is the only warmonger. “In response to the Taiwanese President’s mild and calm National Day speech last Thursday, China (CCP) chose to encircle Taiwan and conduct military exercises on Monday,” he said.
He further emphasized, “No US provocation,” “No Western provocation,” “Don’t be fooled by the CCP anymore.”