During the maneuvers, Beijing is exploring the possibility of obtaining comprehensive control and blocking key areas of the island.
On April 1, the People's Liberation Army of China began large-scale military exercises off Taiwan Island, said Shi Yi, an official representative of the Eastern Zone of the PLA Combat Command. During them, Chinese military personnel practice obtaining comprehensive control, blocking key routes and areas, as well as strikes against sea and land targets. The maneuvers involved ground and missile forces, the Navy and the air force. Thus, China demonstrates its determination to do everything to ensure that Taiwan remains in Beijing's sphere of influence, experts say.
China's maneuvers off the coast of Taiwan
The purpose of the exercises is to "test the real combat capabilities of the forces of the Eastern Combat Command Zone," said Shi Yi, an official representative of the command.
"The exercises of the People's Liberation Army of China around Taiwan are a necessary step to protect sovereignty, these measures by Beijing are directed against separatist forces, not against the inhabitants of the island," Zhu Fenglian, an official representative of the Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China for Taiwan Affairs, said.
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She also stressed that Beijing would never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China. And the maneuvers are "punishment for the insane provocations of the Lai Qingde administration, which deliberately undermines peace in the Taiwan Strait."
The Taiwanese government has already condemned the exercises, and the presidential office said that China is "widely known to the international community as a troublemaker" and the island's authorities are confident in their abilities and are able to defend themselves. In response, Taiwan sent its warships to the exercise area.
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Earlier, on March 22, Taiwan reported the approach of 47 aircraft and seven Chinese ships to the island. It is noted that 41 of the 47 aircraft crossed the median line and entered the northern, southwestern and eastern air defense zones of Taiwan.
Exercises are always a reaction to certain actions from the opposite side, Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
"China has undergone changes in the nature of combat training around Taiwan after Lai Tsingde assumed the post of president of the island," he explained. — Now Beijing is striving to conduct large-scale exercises as often as possible, during which it practices the landing and blockade of the island. Therefore, we are dealing with regular practice here. It will be repeated and increase China's ability to solve the problem by force.
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According to Kashin, Taiwan, for its part, is also conducting maneuvers, but it is working on defense issues.
— The island doesn't have enough resources to respond to every Chinese event, so there won't be much reaction this time. But at the same time, any major military exercises force Taiwan to put the army on high alert, and this drains its resources: equipment wears out, people get tired," the expert added.
China shows determination
Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for Strategic Planning Studies, is confident that this is another Chinese exercise that will not affect Sino-Taiwanese relations in any way.
"Their goal is to maintain combat readiness in case a decision is made in favor of a military solution to the Taiwan issue," he said. — The fact that Chinese planes crossed the air defense line does not mean anything. This is not a violation of any kind, since it is virtual in itself. The only thing that matters is the violation of the territorial waters zone.
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And according to military expert Viktor Litovkin, the People's Liberation Army of China does not enter the zone of territorial waters located at a distance of 12 nautical miles from the coast.
— Taiwan is a part of China, and Beijing has every right to conduct exercises on its territory — in the Taiwan Strait around the island. Thus, the Celestial Empire is conducting these maneuvers to show the leadership of Taiwan that at any moment it can isolate it from the United States and all those who are ready to help tear the island away from mainland China.
Photo: REUTERS/EASTERN THEATRE COMMAND
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The expert also noted that all exercises are almost always demonstrative, and these are no exception. Here, China is demonstrating its determination to do everything to ensure that Taiwan remains within Beijing's sphere of influence.
NATO exercises Dynamic mariner/FLOTEX 25
Earlier, Izvestia reported that on March 24, NATO exercises Dynamic mariner/FLOTEX 25 began in the Gulf of Cadiz and in the area of the Andalusian coast of Spain. They will end on April 4.
About 4,000 troops, 30 ships, two submarines, amphibious units and aircraft from nine alliance countries are taking part in them. During the exercises, amphibious operations, anti-submarine warfare and cyber defense are being practiced. According to experts, the current maneuvers fit into the general logic of the militarization of Europe, which is aimed at the efforts of Western politicians.
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On the website of the Spanish Navy, the Dynamic mariner/ FLOTEX 25 maneuvers have been named the most important in recent years at the national and allied levels. The main purpose of the exercises is to test the combat readiness, increase the level of compatibility of the Naval Forces (Navies) of NATO member countries and certify the Spanish Navy headquarters as the naval component of the NATO Response Force (ARF) for the period from July 2025 to July 2026.
Julia Leonova
