China launched a fierce verbal attack against Taiwan on the occasion of the large-scale military drills conducted by Taipei, characterizing them as a futile show of military strength and warning that no independence effort can overturn the goal of national reunification. The spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhu Fenglian, stated that the Taiwanese government's moves are nothing more than empty sabre-rattling against the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which she described as overwhelmingly stronger.
"DPP vainly seeks independence through military power"
"Faced with the powerful People's Liberation Army of China, any military maneuvers carried out by the island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are nothing but an empty display of power," Zhu Fenglian emphasized during her weekly press briefing. As she argued, the DPP "vainly seeks to achieve independence through the use of military force," further straining the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese official blamed the Taipei government for the rising tension in the region, arguing that its actions undermine stability and increase the risk of military confrontation. At the same time, she warned that the DPP's efforts "will not prevent the inevitable collapse of separatist forces in Taiwan" nor halt, as she said, "the historical path toward the inevitable reunification of the island with mainland China."
Five-day exercises with defense scenarios against China
Beijing's reaction came just hours after the start of Taiwan's annual five-day military exercises, which involve all branches of the armed forces. The drills aim to improve coordination between the army, navy, and air force, while including scenarios for countering a large-scale Chinese attack, protecting critical infrastructure, anti-landing operations, and mobilising reservists. According to Taiwanese media, the drills are being conducted while the People's Liberation Army simultaneously carries out intense military activity around the island, featuring fighter jet flights, bomber missions, warship deployments, and drills in neighboring maritime areas.
Taiwan at the center of the US–China confrontation
The issue of Taiwan constitutes one of the most significant points of friction in relations between Beijing and Washington. The US does not officially recognize Taiwan as an independent state, yet it remains the island's primary supplier of weapons systems and, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, is committed to providing it with the means for its defense. Beijing considers any American military support to Taipei to be an intervention in China's internal affairs and has repeatedly warned that it does not rule out the use of force if Taiwan proceeds with an official declaration of independence.
The dispute dating back to 1949
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when Kuomintang forces, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to the island after their defeat in the Chinese civil war by Mao Zedong's communists. The People's Republic of China considers Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory and has set reunification as a strategic goal, if possible by peaceful means, without however ruling out the use of military power. In recent years, Chinese military exercises around the island have multiplied, while Taiwan constantly strengthens its defensive capabilities with new weapons systems and increased cooperation with the US and other Western allies. The escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait is considered by many analysts to be one of the most serious global geopolitical risks, as any military conflict could trigger severe repercussions on the global economy, supply chains, and especially the production of advanced semiconductors, where Taiwan holds a dominant position.
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