The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched and completed the Joint Sword-2024B Exercise near Taiwan on Monday. This extensive display of military power focused on deterring potential U.S. intervention in any future conflicts in the Taiwan Strait. The exercise, conducted by the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA, incorporated naval, air, and rocket forces, underscoring China’s determination to assert control in the region.
The military drills come amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, as well as growing U.S. support for the self-governed island. With geopolitical stakes rising in the Taiwan Strait, these exercises serve as a clear signal of China’s resolve to protect what it considers its national interests.
The Eastern Theater Command confirmed the deployment of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group to conduct the exercises, along with a coordinated effort by its army, navy, air force, and rocket forces. The drills took place in the waters and airspace east of Taiwan, involving simulated strikes on both sea and land targets.
According to Li Xi, spokesperson of the Eastern Theater Command, the focus of the drills was to test the joint combat capabilities of multiple service branches in integrated operations, both within and beyond the island chain. The drills aimed to strengthen vessel-aircraft collaboration, joint air control, and the precision of strikes on high-priority targets.
“These exercises serve as a powerful deterrent to separatist activities by the ‘Taiwan independence’ elements,” Li emphasized. “They are legitimate and necessary actions to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and unity.”
The drills were conducted in the Taiwan Strait, as well as to the north, south, and east of Taiwan, demonstrating the PLA’s capacity to project power and surround the island in a potential conflict scenario. The Chinese government has made no secret of its desire for reunification with Taiwan, a goal that these drills seek to reinforce.
As of 4:30 PM local time, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported the deployment of an unprecedented 125 aircraft, 17 warships, and 17 coast guard vessels by the PLA. This represents a new high in terms of the scale and intensity of Chinese military operations around Taiwan, further fueling concerns about a potential escalation.
Taiwanese military forces have responded by maintaining high alert status, with defensive positions at sea and in the air. The Ministry of Defense issued a statement calling China’s actions “irrational and provocative” and reaffirmed its readiness to respond to any threats to the island’s sovereignty.
The timing of the Joint Sword-2024B exercise is particularly significant, coming shortly after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s speech on Taiwan’s National Day, October 10. In his address, President Lai firmly rejected China’s claim to Taiwan, arguing that the Republic of China (ROC) has a longer historical legacy, being founded 113 years ago, compared to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which is only 75 years old.
Lai’s statement was perceived as a direct challenge to Beijing’s insistence that Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory. China, in turn, saw it as an opportunity to reassert its stance through military means.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office issued a stern response to the drills, calling on China to “cease military provocations that undermine regional peace and stability” and demanding that Beijing stop threatening Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.
The United States, a key ally of Taiwan, expressed serious concern over the PLA’s latest maneuvers. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, criticized China’s military response to President Lai’s routine annual speech, calling it “unwarranted” and a risky escalation.
“We call on the PRC to act with restraint and avoid actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Miller said, highlighting the potential for international conflict. He reiterated that stability in the region is of critical importance to global security and economic prosperity, particularly given the strategic significance of the Taiwan Strait.
U.S. officials also affirmed that Washington continues to monitor Chinese military activities closely and maintains open communication with its allies in the region, ensuring coordinated responses to any further provocations.
The Joint Sword-2024B exercise follows another major PLA drill, Joint Sword-2024A, held earlier this year from May 23 to 25, shortly after President Lai’s inauguration. During that drill, Chinese officials indicated that more such exercises would take place, as Beijing continues to fine-tune its military strategies for potential reunification with Taiwan.
Chinese analysts have framed these drills as an essential step in building joint combat capabilities capable of rivaling the U.S., which maintains a substantial military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University’s Department of International Politics, the exercises aim to close the gap between the PLA’s naval and air forces and those of the United States.
“China seeks to develop joint combat capabilities that can challenge the overwhelming advantage of the U.S. Navy and Air Force,” Shen wrote in an article for Guancha.cn. He also linked the Taiwan issue to past incidents involving U.S. military transits through the Taiwan Strait.
Shen noted that one of the key innovations in the Joint Sword-2024B exercise was the inclusion of a simulated blockade of Taiwan’s major ports. This tactic is designed to prevent foreign intervention, particularly by the U.S., and to stop military supplies from reaching the island.
The introduction of a blockade strategy marks a significant escalation in China’s military posture toward Taiwan. According to Chinese columnist Wang Shichun, the deployment of China’s coast guard “monster ship,” a vessel displacing 12,000 tons, symbolizes the PLA’s increasing focus on cutting off Taiwan from external support.
In the event of a blockade, Chinese forces could inspect and seize vessels attempting to deliver arms or essential supplies to Taiwan. Wang argued that Taiwan’s strategy of holding out for a week, while waiting for foreign intervention, would be ineffective in the face of a full-scale PLA blockade.
The PLA’s capabilities in this area have been highlighted by recent developments, including the deployment of the coast guard’s largest vessels, surpassing even the tonnage of some U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers. Shen and other analysts see this as a clear message to Washington that China’s area-denial capabilities are growing rapidly.
A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, assessed various scenarios in which the PLA might enforce a blockade on Taiwan.
- All-Out Kinetic Blockade: A full-scale effort involving live-fire exercises, missile attacks on key infrastructure, and cyberattacks designed to isolate Taiwan for months.
- Mining Blockade: A scaled-down version where Chinese submarines would lay mines around Taiwan’s ports, with PLA forces enforcing the blockade without firing unless provoked.
- Limited Blockade: A milder approach focusing on deterrence without mining efforts.
The CSIS report concluded that an all-out kinetic blockade is the most likely scenario in the event of a PLA assault, as it would place maximum pressure on Taiwan while deterring foreign intervention.
In a media briefing on Monday, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, reiterated Beijing’s official stance. She emphasized that the U.S. must abide by the one-China principle and stop supporting Taiwanese independence movements.
“If the U.S. truly cares about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to act on its leaders’ commitments to not support ‘Taiwan independence,’” Mao said. She urged Washington to cease arms sales to Taiwan and to stop sending mixed signals to separatist forces.
The Joint Sword-2024B exercise reflects an increasingly aggressive stance by China toward Taiwan, one that is likely to provoke further tensions with the U.S. and other regional powers. As China continues to build its military capabilities and fine-tune its strategy, Taiwan’s future remains uncertain.
While Taiwan’s government insists that it can resist PLA attacks long enough for international forces to intervene, the growing sophistication of China’s blockade tactics raises questions about whether such intervention would come in time. The U.S. and its allies now face a delicate balancing act in deterring Chinese aggression while avoiding a direct military conflict that could have catastrophic consequences for the entire region.
