PLA's joint exercises demonstrate capability to thwart any push for 'Taiwan independence': China Daily editorial

The joint exercises by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command around the island of Taiwan that began on Tuesday are an indispensable measure to safeguard China's national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Unlike previous military drills, which were mostly officially described as "routine" or "regular", the latest military exercises were given an unusually high profile by both the civil and military authorities on the Chinese mainland.

The military's message was stern and explicit, with Shi Yi, spokesperson for the theater command, highlighting the comprehensive scope of the exercises, which involve the coordinated operations of the army, navy, air and rocket forces converging on the island from various directions.

The drills, which have been specifically tailored to address the challenges posed by the Lai Ching-te authorities on the island, primarily focus on enhancing sea-air combat-readiness patrols, seizing comprehensive superiority, conducting assaults on maritime and ground targets, and implementing blockades in key areas and sea lanes to evaluate the joint operational capabilities of the troops.

If a mainland blockade of the island had recently been considered a matter of fanciful talk, what happened on Tuesday was a pointed indication of what may be in store for the separatist forces on the island should they cross a glaring red line.

Contrary to any clamor suggesting otherwise, the exercises are a necessary and lawful action to uphold China's sovereignty and national unity. Since taking office, Lai has persistently pursued a separatist agenda, employing provocative rhetoric to brand the Chinese mainland as an "external hostile force" and advocate separatism.

That is only pushing the people of Taiwan into "a dangerous situation of war", as Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said.

Given the historical fact and internationally accepted legal truth that Taiwan is a part of China, the PLA has every right to guarantee the country's territorial integrity by any means, including by force.

The two sides across the Taiwan Strait have lived in peace for decades generally, as long as the authorities of the island uphold the 1992 Consensus that both sides of the Strait belong to one China.

But Lai, as the present Democratic Progressive Party chair and the leader of the authorities, has significantly escalated separatist endeavors in a bid to create what he fantasizes as Taiwan "sovereignty". He has audaciously propagated a revised version of the "two states theory" and brazenly called the island "a sovereign democratic state" for the first time in a speech last month, when he also vowed to take a series of measures to purge mainland elements from the island.

The law-enforcement patrols being conducted by China Coast Guard vessels around the island, in accordance with the one-China principle, complement the joint exercises by the PLA Eastern Theater Command. The coast guard's actions signify practical steps to assert legitimate jurisdiction over the island in alignment with the one-China principle, reinforcing Taiwan's status as an integral part of the People's Republic of China.

Having worked alongside his immediate predecessor as Taiwan's deputy leader, Lai knows well what red lines the mainland has drawn for Taiwan's "independence" seekers, and where they lie. But he just keeps pushing the envelope. And, for all the warnings from the other side of the Strait, he refuses to mend his ways.

For Lai and those like him, who have gotten lost in the daydream of "Taiwan independence", the latest military drills should serve as a reality check, prompting them to refrain from further provocations.

They demonstrate that the PLA has the proficiency to effectively carry out joint operations, the ability to strike at key targets on the island, and the capability to seize air superiority, maritime dominance, and information control.

As the spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office said, "Taiwan independence" means war. By recklessly upping the ante with his words and deeds, Lai simply reveals himself to be the "destroyer of cross-Strait peace" and a "Taiwan Strait crisis maker".

The latest exercises should awaken him to the reality that there is no room for any form of "Taiwan independence".