Screenshot of the video published by PLA Eastern Theater Command
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command started to conduct joint exercises on Tuesday, organizing its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on the Taiwan Island from multiple directions, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command,
announced on the day.
These drills mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes so as to test joint operations capabilities of its troops, Shi said.
It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity, the spokesperson said.
Unlike the Joint Sword-2024A and Joint Sword-2024B exercises conducted by the PLA Eastern Theater Command in May and October of 2024, no codename was announced for the PLA exercise on Tuesday. Zhang Chi, a professor at the National Defense University, told Global Times on Tuesday that, "This indicated that, from a significant extent, the PLA's exercise today has become routine. It is just like a common day for the PLA."
Through a series of exercises held in the Taiwan Straits in recent years, the PLA has effectively enhanced its combat readiness and ability. The expert further stated that, first of all, these exercises not only tempered the fighting spirit, but also tempered the psychological quality and strong style of the task force, enabling the officers and soldiers to perform various tasks close to actual combat in a good state.
Secondly, regular exercises are conducive to familiarizing with the battlefield environment. As the exercises continue to advance in depth and get closer and closer to Taiwan island, it is conducive to the PLA's further familiarity and mastery of the environment of the Taiwan Straits battlefield, Zhang said.
Thirdly, regular exercises have improved combat capabilities. High-intensity exercises have boosted the PLA's level of joint operations, and various types of weapons and equipment have also withstood the test, indicating that the PLA's combat capabilities are continuously improving, Zhang said.
Zhang noted that this exercise demonstrated the PLA's firm will and strong ability to resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. "Every time the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces provoke, the PLA will take a step forward. The closer the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces are colluding with external forces, the tighter our chain of blockade on Taiwan will be. The PLA's toolbox for fighting in the Taiwan Straits is becoming richer and richer, the means are becoming more and more diverse, and the fist is becoming harder and harder."
