➡️ The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA started joint military drills surrounding the island of #Taiwan from 7:45 am Thursday. The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Straits, the north, south and east of Taiwan island, as well as areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin.

➡️ The drills focus on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets, involving the patrol of vessels and planes closing in on areas around the island of Taiwan and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the joint real combat capabilities of the forces of the command.

➡️ The drills 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: Spokesperson for the theater command

PLA’s ongoing Joint Sword-2024A exercise surrounding Taiwan island focuses on:
— Destroying major military and political targets
— Trapping Taiwan naval assets
— Blocking sea and air near offshore routes

➡️ Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said that military services including the army, navy, air force and rocket force of the theater command are being organized to conduct the joint drills, code-named Joint Sword-2024A, from Thursday to Friday.

➡️ Li said the drills also serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of "Taiwan independence" forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces.

➡️ The exercises by the PLA came after Lai, the new regional leader on the island of Taiwan, made an inaugural speech on Monday in which he stubbornly adhered to "Taiwan independence," loudly propagated the fallacy of secession, incited confrontation and antagonism across the Taiwan Straits, and expressed his intention to "rely on external forces to seek 'independence'" and "seek 'independence' by force."