Taiwan separatists playing reckless game juggling fire sticks over gunpowder keg

The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China conducted "Joint Sword-2024B" drills on Monday as "a strong signal of deterrence" to the separatist activities of the "independence" elements on Taiwan.

Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, said the drills involved vessels and planes closing in on the island on all sides from multiple directions, with the focus on joint sea-air combat readiness patrols, the blockade and control of key ports and areas, strikes on sea and land targets, and the seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, so as to test the joint real-combat capabilities of the forces of the command, and demonstrate its capability to effectively seal off the island.

The latest military drills by the PLA around the island were staged just a few days after Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's provocative speech on Thursday. They were clearly a strong response by Beijing to Lai's new "independence" fallacy regarding Taiwan, demonstrating Beijing's resolve and capability to deter pro-independence elements and defend the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In his speech, Lai not only brazenly promoted the fallacy of the island and the Chinese mainland being two separate states, but also employed many verbal tricks to advance the agenda of "Taiwan independence" by making such blatant remarks as "Taiwan has sovereignty", "the People's Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan", and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate to each other". Such claims indicate Lai has no intention of trying to ease the cross-Strait tensions, even though he has repeatedly mentioned "peace" in speeches he has made since his inauguration in May.

On Sunday, a social media account affiliated with the Ministry of Defense published an opinion piece condemning Lai for fueling the cross-Strait tensions, saying that whether it is "the hollow 'goodwill' shouted across the Strait or the deceptive 'soft stance' he tries to portray — none of it can change the essence of his advocacy for division and incitement of hostility and confrontation".

By opting to swagger further along the road in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" like a drunk at night worried of demons, Lai is stoking cross-Strait tensions, increasing the sense of insecurity felt by Taiwan compatriots and setting more obstacles in the way of cross-Strait exchanges in trade and other fields.

Staging military drills is just one of the many countermeasures Beijing can take to repel the push by Lai for "Taiwan independence". On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council expressed strong support of relevant government departments' further measures based on the findings of its investigation into Taiwan's trade barriers.

Lai and the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party he leads now should reflect on the future of Taiwan, and stop doing the United States' bidding in Washington's China-containment strategy. No responsible leader of the island can afford to gamble the future of it on the US' assistance in case of emergency.

The PLA's military drills on Monday have clearly demonstrated Beijing's resolve and capability to safeguard the nation's territorial integrity. According to a video released by CCTV, PLA fighter jets and bombers departed from multiple airports in the southern mainland, crossing the Taiwan Strait to approach the island for the joint exercise. Additionally, the PLA Rocket Force moved to operational areas "overnight" and subsequently launched simulated strikes against designated targets on the island. It is die-hard separatists such as Lai who are tearing down the security fabric of the island bit by bit by filling the powder keg of tensions fuller with each passing day.

The PLA's drills on Monday sent the unambiguous message that Beijing will not allow such extremely deceptive endeavors such as Lai's speech to cement the notion that the island has an independent status and that it will not allow a "gradual" form of Taiwan independence to take root and grow. If Lai and his like-minded independence-seekers continue to play with fire it is only a matter of time before it blows up.