China has just concluded 3 day long high power military maneuver in Strait of Taiwan where the basic operational aim was to seal off the island nation. China launched mass military drills after US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen for a meeting in California last week, after Tsai’s 10-day trip to Central America.

Issuing a statement about the exercise, Wang Wenbin, the spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said the “Joint Sword” three-day drills held by People’s Liberation Army (PLA) since Saturday, “encircling Taiwan island are a stern warning to Taiwan secessionist forces and their collusion with external forces and necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity.” This statement ecos China’s long held Taiwan policy in which Taiwan is the integral part of One-China. Wang declared independent Taiwan incompatible with the concept of peace. ‘Taiwan independence’ is incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits as fire and water.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command said Monday it “successfully wrapped up combat alert patrols and Joint Sword exercises.” Earlier Taiwanese sources had claimed that they picked around 80 Chinese aircraft in its airspace. Chinese ministry of defense released a video on social media about the exercise in the Strait of Taiwan.

Chinese MoD showed an imitation of high-precision strikes, which was worked out during the PLA exercises,going for the second day around Taiwan pic.twitter.com/XwAsM5026J

— Security & Threat Matrix (@_Stmatrix) April 9, 2023

It was also reported that Chinese carrier borne fighter J-15 participated in any such exercise for the first time. It must be remembered that J-15 is the largest carrier borne fighter in the world.

PLAN's carrier based J-15 participated in aggressive maneuvering around Taiwan during the recent military exercises in Strait of Taiwan. #PLAN #J15 https://t.co/Py9tZSwYqP pic.twitter.com/nI3kHy8Zdd

— Security & Threat Matrix (@_Stmatrix) April 10, 2023

China accuses the US to support Taiwan in these “secessionist activities” against the stated One China policy of Washington. This was echoed in Wang’s statement as well. Wang dubbed Taiwan’s “secessionist activities and the ‘connivance and support from the US’ as the ‘biggest’ threat to cross-Straits peace,” a terminology to designate China-Taiwan relations.

Tensions are high in South China Sea and Strait of Taiwan. How this global power competition is going to shape the global politics is one question that has intrigued the defense and security experts around the world.

News Desk