On Monday, October 14th, the Chinese Communist military held a one-day military exercise, claiming it was a warning against “separatist activities.” The governments of Taiwan, the United States, and Europe have condemned it. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also released a video showing Taiwanese forces closely monitoring Chinese military aircraft and vessels during the exercise, including footage of an F-16 targeting a Chinese J-15 fighter jet.
The Chinese military’s theater command stated that Chinese warships, destroyers, and aircraft approached Taiwan from different directions at close range. The focus was on maritime and aerial patrols, blockading major ports and regions, as well as targeting sea and ground objectives.
Furthermore, the Chinese military announced that the Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group also participated in the exercise in eastern Taiwan, which was closely monitored by the Taiwanese military.
The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan stated that the exercise involved 17 Chinese warships and 125 Chinese military aircraft, marking the highest number of aircraft flying near Taiwan in one day.
Subsequently, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense released a 1 minute and 46-second video on X platform, emphasizing the vigilance of the national army in defending the homeland. They stated that they would not relax vigilance just because the Chinese military announced the end of the exercise, as defending national security is their responsibility.
The video showed Taiwanese forces deploying mobile radar vehicles, the Hai-feng squadron moving to positions, the Wuqiu defense battalion engaging in missile interception drills, the Ming Chuan warship urgently setting sail to designated areas for combat readiness and surveillance missions, as well as the Kangding warship monitoring the Chinese Taiyuan vessel, the Swift Eagle drone monitoring the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 1105 and the Chinese Navy vessel 617.
The most striking scene was the footage of a Taiwanese F-16 targeting a Chinese J-15 fighter jet, lasting for over ten seconds, seemingly unnoticed by the Chinese aircraft.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense issued a press release stating that the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese military conducted military exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan today. In response to such irrational provocations, the Ministry of National Defense strongly condemned the actions and deployed appropriate forces in accordance with the “Regulations for Dealing with Emergencies During the Military Preparedness Period” to safeguard freedom and democracy, and defend the sovereignty of the Republic of China.