China's 'Punishment Drills' Against Taiwan

Exercise Joint Sword-2024A and its meaning for the security and stability of Taiwan and the broader region.

Source: GlobalTimes

Democratic Taiwan is already a global beacon.

Inaugural Address of ROC 16th-term President Lai Ching-te

This week, the new President of Taiwan was inaugurated in Taipei. I wanted to provide a quick update to subscribers on the Chinese reaction, particularly that of the PLA’s ‘punishment drills’, and what it means for stability in the western Pacific.

Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te on 23 May vowed to defend Taiwan’s freedom while preserving peace in the region. In his inauguration speech delivered a couple of days earlier, he stated that “I also want to call on China to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war.”

But wishing for dialog with China is unlikely to curb the aspirations of President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party to absorb the vibrant young democracy that is Taiwan. Frequent speeches and a recent Taiwan White Paper make their intentions clear. As the White Paper pronounces in bold, “Taiwan Is Part of China - This Is an Indisputable Fact.”

Because of this, the new Taiwanese president also accepted in his speech that enduring peace can only be possible if Taiwan is strong enough to defend itself against military, economic, informational and other threats. He noted that “as we pursue the ideal of peace, we must not harbor any delusions…In face of the many threats and attempts of infiltration from China, we must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation, and we must also raise our defense awareness and strengthen our legal framework for national security. This means actively promoting the Four Pillars of Peace action plan: strengthened national defense; improved economic security; stable and principled cross-strait leadership; and values-based diplomacy.”

China Responds: Punishment Drills

Predictably, the CCP did not respond well to this inauguration speech.