Photo/Illutration China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in the "Joint Sword-2024B" military drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a handout video released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command on Oct. 14. (PLA Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERS)

The Chinese military recently conducted another large-scale military exercise around Taiwan, following its similar intimidating show of force in May.

China’s actions to use such intimidation as regular tactics could potentially entrench regional military tensions and are completely unacceptable to neighboring countries, including Japan.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese military’s exercise on Oct. 14 involved 17 warships and 17 other vessels that were equivalent to Japan Coast Guard patrol boats.

Additionally, 153 military aircraft were confirmed to be participating in the drills by the early morning of Oct. 15.

China has repeatedly carried out this kind of saber-rattling military exercises surrounding Taiwan.

In August 2022, immediately after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China launched joint military exercises around the island and continued them for seven days.

In addition, there was another two-day exercise following the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

Although the latest exercise concluded in one day, there is a significant possibility that China may conduct such exercises periodically.

The Chinese military spokesperson framed the latest exercise as a “strong deterrent against the separatist acts of Taiwanese independent forces.”

It seems that China was enraged by Lai’s National Day speech on Oct. 10, in which the Taiwanese president said, “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan,” a position clearly unacceptable to China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory.

The exercise was apparently intended to demonstrate China’s ability to blockade Taiwan, intimidate the Lai administration, and serve as a warning to the United States and other supporters of Taiwan. However, Taiwanese society remains calm, and the response from the Lai administration has been measured.

For China, Taiwan is the last piece toward national unification, and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration has not abandoned the option of using military force to achieve the goal.

However, since Beijing understands that an amphibious landing operation is not feasible due to insufficient capabilities and excessive risks, it is considering a scenario of surrounding and blockading Taiwan, according to experts.

Nonetheless, any act threatening the safety of international waters around Taiwan will inevitably be perceived as hostile in nature by various countries.

In the past, China and Taiwan have built a relationship based on vibrant bilateral economic exchanges for their mutual benefit without delving into the differences in their political stances on the sensitive issue.

However, since the Democratic Progressive Party, which China sees as a pro-independence political force, came to power in 2016, the Xi administration has unilaterally cut off working-level cross-strait dialogues, imposed partial trade restrictions and continued military exercises to put pressure on Taiwan.

The Chinese government’s department responsible for Taiwan affairs criticized Lai’s speech on Oct. 10 for “inciting conflict.” Yet, China’s response to the address with military intimidation is precisely what stirs up conflict.

The tactics of intimidation by flexing military muscle, also used in China’s ongoing territorial disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea over the Spratly Islands, raise suspicions that Beijing is intent on using such maneuvers as a standard approach.

As a major country responsible for maintaining international order and stability, China should refrain from actions that undermine its credibility.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 17

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