Oct. 15 (UPI) — A record number of Chinese warplanes and naval vessels surrounded Taiwan during Beijing’s one-day, large-scale military exercise on Monday, the self-governing island’s Ministry of Defense said.
China conducted Joint Sword-2024B around Taiwan over Monday to test its troops’ integrated joint operation capabilities and in retaliation against the island’s government pushing back against Beijing’s aims to occupy it.
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that between 5 a.m. local time Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, it detected that China had deployed 153 warplanes, 14 warships and 12 other vessels around the island during the exercise.
Among the warplanes, 111 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone.
The number of warplanes that surrounded Taiwan surpasses the previous daily record of 103 that Beijing set in September of 2023.
In announcing the operation had come to an end, the People’s Liberation Army described it as a success.
“Always on high alert, troops of the theater command keep strengthening combat readiness with arduous training, and will foil the ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist attempts,” Senior Capt. Li Xi of the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a statement.
Taiwan is a self-governing, democratic island of about 23 million people that Beijing views as a rogue province and has vowed to take back by force if necessary. Taiwan, however, has never been part of mainland People’s Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.
“The #ROCArmedForces remain vigilant 24/7 to protect our homeland and will not let down our guard just because the #PLA has declared the end of its exercises,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said on X.
“Defending our nation’s security is our duty.”
The exercise comes as China’s rebuttal to a National Day speech made by President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan on Thursday, in which he declared that “China has no right to represent Taiwan.”
The exercise has been repeatedly condemned by the United States, a strong ally of Taiwan and its democracy.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder in Washington on Monday said they closely monitored the drill.
“This military pressure operation is irresponsible, disproportionate and destabilizing,” he said in a statement, in which he described Lai’s Thursday speech as “a long-standing tradition” and “a routine, domestic-focused address that has historically prompted little response from the PRC.”
The People’s Republic of China is China’s official name.
“The entire world has a stake in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and we continue to see a growing community of countries committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Ryder said.
“We will continue to work with allies and partners to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, despite the PRC’s destabilizing behavior.”