Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai has said that his government is “prepared” ahead of China’s reported plans to launch military drills and a satellite on or around Oct. 10, Taiwan’s national day.
Security officials have said that Beijing is likely to conduct drills near Taiwan in a show of force as President Lai Ching-te delivers his keynote speech on the national day of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, when he is expected to reaffirm the island’s sovereignty and the rights of Taiwanese people to decide their future.
In a statement received by Reuters news agency, the Taiwanese defense ministry said that China had been using various reasons to "legitimize its targeted military drills."
"We continue to monitor and analyze the training dynamics of the Chinese communists around the Taiwan Strait in order to anticipate the situation," the ministry said.
China considers Taiwan a Chinese province and does not recognize its independent status. Beijing often stages military exercises around the island in response to developments that it considers “separatist attempts” by Taiwanese leaders.
Days after Lai’s inauguration on May 20, 2024, China conducted a two-day exercise – Joint Sword-2024A – in the air and sea around Taiwan.
The upcoming exercise would be called Joint Sword-2024B, Taiwanese officials said.
Satellite launch
While pledging that Taipei will strengthen its defenses in the lead-up to the national day, Premier Cho said he hoped China would conduct its military drills in areas under its jurisdiction, exercise restraint, and avoid actions "that disrupt regional security and security in the Indo-Pacific region."
The head of the government said he would ask the military to gather information on China’s satellite launch, which is expected on Thursday, and monitor it to ensure it does not pose a threat to the public.
The U.S. State Department, while not commenting on the possible Chinese drills, said that “using routine annual celebrations or public remarks as a pretext or excuse for provocative or coercive measures undermines peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait.
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Taiwan’s defense ministry said China would launch its satellite launch vehicle, or SLV, from the Xichang satellite launch center in Sichuan province on Thursday, adding it expected the SLV would head east towards the Western Pacific, passing through Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, or ADIZ.
An ADIZ is an area where foreign aircraft are tracked and identified before they reach a country's airspace.
The Chinese military holds regular incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ as part of its so-called gray-zone tactic to put pressure on Taipei. Gray-zone activities are generally not explicit acts of war but are considered to be harmful to a nation’s security.
Edited by Mike Firn.