Two J-20 stealth fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the PLA Air Force take off for a flight training exercise in early February of 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Weipeng)

Focusing on courses including joint aerial and maritime combat readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive control of battlefield and joint strike at key targets, the exercise saw warships and warplanes close in on the island of Taiwan for combat cruises, coordinate within and out of the first island chain, and test the troops' joint combat capabilities in real circumstances, the People's Daily article said.

The exercise aimed to punish "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and send a warning to external interference forces following Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's separatist inaugural speech on May 20, analysts said.

In the South China Sea, the PLA organized a series of joint patrols and joint exercises in January, forcing the US and the Philippines to scale down their joint patrol in the region at a time when the Philippines, under US' instigation, repeatedly made provocations on Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

The PLA also served as a solid support for the China Coast Guard when the latter dealt with illegal Philippine trespassing activities into waters off Chinese islands and reefs, observers said.

Over the past year, the PLA conducted several combat-oriented exercises in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, in which the PLA's advanced warships and warplanes including the aircraft carrier Shandong, Type 055 large destroyers and Type 052D destroyers systematically practiced not only in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, but also the West Pacific, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Such drills were characterized by their high intensity, and they have now become routine, Fu said.

They indicate that the PLA is fully capable of safeguarding Chinese territories, security as well as maritime rights, he noted.

The rocket force of the PLA Eastern Theater Command erects a short-range ballistic missile during the Joint Sword-2024A exercises on May 24. Photo: PLA Eastern Theater Command

The PLA also spent the past year conducting friendly visits, exchanges as well as holding joint patrols and exercises with militaries of many other countries, in addition to holding regular escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia as well as UN peacekeeping missions in moves to contribute to peace and stability around the world.

The PLA also wrapped up several international military interactions over the past month, including a China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol over the Bering Sea, a China-Russia joint naval patrols in the West Pacific and the South China Sea, the China-Belarus Eagle Assault-2024 joint army training in Belarus, and the China-Laos Friendship Shield-2024 joint drill in Laos.

These international military interactions boosted friendships, understandings and pragmatic cooperation. The joint exercises and patrols stressed counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and regional security issues, rather than bloc confrontation like West-led drills, a Beijing-based military expert who requested for anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Reform and development

A reform of the PLA took place in April, as its Strategic Support Force was canceled and split into the information support force, the aerospace force and the cyberspace force, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to official releases, the information support force is a new, strategic branch of the Chinese military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system, the aerospace force is of great significance to strengthening the capacity to safely enter, exit and openly use space, enhancing crisis management and the efficacy of comprehensive governance in space and promoting peaceful utilization of space, while the cyberspace force is important for reinforcing national cyber border defense, promptly detecting and countering network intrusions, and maintaining national cyber sovereignty and information security.

The Fujian Graphic: GT

One of the most important development in terms of the PLA's equipment is the Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, as the 80,000 ton-class electromagnetic catapult carrier conducted its maiden voyage on May 1, followed by second and third sea trials as of the end of July.

Analysts said the intensity of the Fujian's sea trials indicate very smooth progress, and it is very likely that new carrier-based aircraft, including a stealth fighter jet, a fixed-wing early warning aircraft and a trainer jet, will make official debuts in the coming year.

Western speculations

As there are only three years to go when China marks the centennial of the PLA in 2027, the West has been hyping that China will resolve the Taiwan question by force by that time.

Fu said the initiative on when and how to resolve the Taiwan question is on the side of the Chinese mainland, and it is not up to the Western speculations, which have ulterior motives.

"We pledge utmost sincerity and greatest efforts for the prospect of peaceful reunification, but never promise to renounce the use of force," Fu reiterated.

The PLA will continue to enhance combat capability by developing new weapons and equipment and boosting training level, and be prepared for anything, experts said.