William Lai Ching Te was sworn in as Taiwan's eighth President on May 20, 2024.
China announced three days later, on the morning of May 23, that it had launched sea, ground and air and rocket military drills around Taiwan.
At 6am that same day, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it detected one People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.
MND also said it detected PLAN vessels around Taiwan from May 19 to 22.
"Punishment"
Coincidence?
Well, apparently not so much, according to a spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, Li Xi. The PLA is the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) military arm.
Li said the drills would serve as a "strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces" and a "stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces", as cited by Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
He added that the drills would also "test the joint real combat capabilities of the forces of the command".
Named "Joint Sword-2024A", PLA said the drills involved the army, navy, air force, as well as rocket force personnel. The forces reportedly started surrounding Taiwan island from 7:45am on May 23 and will only end the next day on May 24.
Taiwan condemned drills, says its military is ready to prepare for war
MND responded and condemned PLA's announcement, saying that the CCP has continuously sent aircraft and ships to harass them "on the pretext [of] conducting military exercises" in recent years.
Adding that this has not only "caused substantial damage to global peace and stability" but highlights China's "hegemonic nature", MND "expressed regret for such irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability."
It said it will dispatch sea, air and ground forces in response, adding that practical actions will be taken to "protect freedom, democracy and the sovereignty of the Republic of China".
WE CONDEMN
PLA Eastern Theater's announcement of “Joint Li Chien-2024A” jeopardizing regional peace and stability.
WE STAND READY
with firm will and restraint. We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one. We have the confidence to safeguard our national security. pic.twitter.com/KaEINkLfHx
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) May 23, 2024
"We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one," MND stressed.
It added that it is monitoring the situation closely and all its soldiers and officers are ready to prepare for war.
China's beef with Lai
Taiwan's new president, Lai, hails from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which is relatively more distant from China, as compared to its main rival Kuomintang (KMT) who broadly favours closer ties with China.
Lai described himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence" in 2017 and the quote has followed him ever since, even through his presidential campaign, although he has softened his stance.
He said during the campaign that he hopes to reopen dialogue with China.
But it appears to be too little too late.
By then, China had branded Lai as a "separatist" and voiced its disapproval of his actions on more than one occasion.
Lai urged China to recognise Taiwan's existence
Chinese officials called him "a troublemaker through and through", a "destroyer of cross-strait peace", and the potential "creator of a dangerous war".
During his inauguration speech on May 20, Lai urged Beijing to recognise Taiwan's existence and, using each side's formal name, said that "the Republic of China and People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other", CNN reported.
Lai said he hoped China would "face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan," and "engage in cooperation with the legal government chosen by Taiwan’s people."
He also urged Beijing to "cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan", and instead replace confrontation with dialogue, BBC reported.
"So long as China refuses to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, all of us in Taiwan ought to understand, that even if we accept the entirety of China’s position and give up our sovereignty, China’s ambition to annex Taiwan will not simply disappear."
When asked to comment on Lai's inauguration speech, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said, "Taiwan independence is a dead end. No matter what pretext or banner one uses, promoting Taiwan independence and secession is doomed to fail."
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Top image from @MoNDefense/X, formerly Twitter