China held a second day of drills around Taiwan on Wednesday, adding to the unprecedented military pressure it is applying to President Lai Ching-te, whom it strongly dislikes.
The latest exercises, labeled Strait Thunder-2025A, were held in the central and southern parts of the Taiwan Strait, Chinese military spokesman Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement. They practiced the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to conduct a blockade, and involved “precision strikes” on simulated targets including ports and energy facilities, according to Shi.
The PLA also held “long-range live-fire drills” in the East China Sea, Shi said, referring to the body of water north of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on X that 37 Chinese planes crossed the mid-line in the strait, and that its own warplanes, ships and missile systems responded, without saying what that entailed.
The latest drills pile more pressure on Taiwan, coming a day after China held exercises that involved the most naval warships in nearly a year. China has now held seven sets of drills of varying intensity around Taiwan since Lai took office in May last year.
That’s easily the most that any president of the archipelago has faced since democratic elections started some three decades ago. Still, China has held major, high-profile exercises in past administrations, such after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in 2022 when Tsai Ing-wen was Taiwan’s leader.
The PLA didn’t say when it planned to hold the B version of Strait Thunder-2025 but its a clear sign that the PLA intends to add to the intimidation.
The Chinese drills on Tuesday seemed intended to push back at the US because Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier pledged to support Japan and the Philippines in dealing with the PLA’s mounting assertiveness.
China also indicated the earlier drills were the results of Lai “rampantly” provoking Beijing. Last month, Lai announced a slew of measures to counter China’s influence and espionage campaigns in the democracy it sees as its own and wants to bring under its control someday, by force if necessary. During a speech in March, he also labeled China a “foreign hostile force” for the first time.
The US State Department criticized Tuesday’s PLA’s exercises, with spokesperson Tammy Bruce saying in a statement that “once again, China’s aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region’s security and the world’s prosperity at risk.”
The US “opposes unilateral changes to the status quo” in the strait, Bruce said, adding that Washington’s backing for allies and partners including Taiwan continued.
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