Photo: Jade Gao Agence France-Presse An exterior screen shows the television program of a Chinese media outlet, which covers China's military exercises around Taiwan, launched this Thursday, May 23, in retaliation against the independence aspirations of the new Taiwanese administration.
Sébastien Ricci – Agence France-Presse in Beijing
Published at 9:30 p.m. Updated at 10:27 p.m.
- United States
China said Friday that ongoing drills encircling Taiwan were aimed at testing its military ability to “seize power” in the self-ruled island, according to state media.
< p>The two-day exercises, which kicked off Thursday morning, are aimed at testing the “capability of seizing power and joint strikes, as well as controlling key territories”, said Li Xi, spokesperson for the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command.
On Thursday, military ships and aircraft surrounded Taiwan, with Beijing saying the operations constituted a “serious warning” to the “separatists” of the island who will end “in blood”.
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Called “Joint Sword-2024A”, they come after the inauguration speech this week of Lai Ching-te, the new president of the island, whose remarks were judged in Beijing as an affirmation that the island was independent — an absolute red line for China.
Taiwan “will defend the values of freedom and democracy,” he responded. “I will stand on the front line with our military brothers and sisters to jointly defend national security.”
China believes Taiwan is one of its provinces, which it has not yet succeeded in reunifying with its territory since the end of the civil war in 1949, while the nationalists took refuge on the island after their defeat against the communist forces.< /p>
Photo: Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Agence France-Presse A screenshot of a video recording published this Thursday on the Chinese platform Weibo by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) shows a Chinese military ship in an unidentified location, very possibly around the island of Taiwan. n Chinese military ship in an unknown location. China on May 23 surrounded Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft in war games aimed at punishing the self-ruled island after its new president vowed to defend democracy.
Chinese media at full throttle against Taiwan
Martial posters, videos of soldiers on war footing and threats: China's state media showed no restraint in justifying “punishment” against Taiwan's “independence activists” in support of the exercises military encircling Taiwan.
These maneuvers are carried out with great communication in the state media.
In a video posted online by state television CCTV, accompanied by martial music, sailors run down the stairs of a warship, before rushing into what appears to be a command room.
On a military base, a pilot takes possession of a plane, in a posture reminiscent of the actor Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun.
“Taiwan independence and peace across the strait,” which separates the island from mainland China, are “incompatible,” assures the Chinese army on the social network WeChat.
These exercises are a “serious warning” addressed to “external forces”, she insists with wording that refers to the United States, Taiwan’s primary military supporter.
Photo: Sam Yeh Agence France-Presse Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, center, watches a demonstration of a U.S. Stinger missile launcher, designed to reach helicopters or fighter jets at low altitude. The latter was visiting Taoyuan this Thursday to inspect the military troops present.
“Wrong road”
“All separatist forces supporting the independence of Taiwan will end in blood, broken head,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy.
If Washington recognizes Beijing to the detriment of Taipei as a legitimate power since 1979, the American Congress at the same time imposes the supply of weapons to Taiwan, with the stated aim of deterring China from any desire to attack.
“Relying on foreign countries means is taking the wrong path”, swears the Chinese army, assuring that for Taiwan “the search for independence is doomed to failure”.
Posters, like war films, accompany these slogans. One of them shows a Chinese landing in Taiwan, with warship, helicopter and tanks in action.
Others show missile launchers pointing at the island, or even a stealth fighter plane on the lookout for any movement of “independenceists”. The triangular shape of the device is compared to the edge of a sword.
A pool of blood appears on these posters with Hollywood graphics and patriotic fiber.
“Caged”
The daily Global Times, with a resolutely nationalist tone, for its part gives the floor to an analyst: the Chinese army “has the capacity to carry out an all-out attack on the entire island” of Taiwan, estimates the expert.
Media decipher the ongoing exercises, intended in particular, according to them, to organize a “blockade” of Taiwan, to cut off the island from resupplies.
New Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te called in his inauguration speech on Monday for China to “stop its political and military intimidation.”
He “has shown himself arrogant”, exclaims the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, the media and controversial Hu Xijin, known for his often undiplomatic remarks.
Thanks to the “power” of the Chinese army, the Taiwanese president “has been caged like a bird”, he writes to his millions of subscribers on social networks.