On the 14th, China conducted military exercises mobilizing the army, navy, air force, and rocket forces in a form surrounding Taiwan. The spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army announced at 5 a.m. local time that day, “Today, we are conducting the ‘Joint Sword-2024B Exercise’ in the Taiwan Strait and the northern and southern parts of the island as well as the eastern part of the island.” The spokesperson stated that naval vessels and aircraft will approach the island from various directions, with various military branches conducting joint assaults, to check the joint operational combat capability of the theater command units. He emphasized that this is a strong impact and intimidation against Taiwan’s separatist activities, as well as a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and reunification.
In May, the Chinese military carried out the ‘Joint Sword-2024A Exercise’ on the 23rd and 24th, almost practically surrounding Taiwan, in response to President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech on May 20. President Lai stated at the 113th National Border Affairs Committee commemoration ceremony that “The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China (China)” and that “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.”