Following China’s Joint Sword-2024A military exercise around Taiwan, US experts have suggested that Beijing intends to make large-scale military drills around the island a regular occurrence, with the China Coast Guard (CCG) playing a significant role in potential blockades, reported Focus Taiwan.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, issued an article authored by Bonny Lin, head of the CSIC’s China Power Project, and fellow researcher Brian Hart. They analyzed the two-day Joint Sword-2024A exercise, launched on Thursday, just three days after President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration on Monday.
This exercise marked the third round of large-scale military maneuvers China has conducted around Taiwan in recent years. According to the US analysts, the latest drills, integrated with law enforcement operations, shed light on several facets of China’s strategy towards Taiwan.
“First, China is likely to continue to employ large-scale military activities around Taiwan to signal its displeasure and punish Taiwan and the United States,” stated the two experts.
They noted that some experts from Taiwan, the US, and China had previously argued that China’s military exercises were becoming less effective in advancing Beijing’s interests against Taiwan. The recent exercise, they suggested, was a response to statements made by President Lai during his inauguration speech, particularly those highlighting Taiwan’s independent status.
“Joint Sword-2024A shows that when China needs to demonstrate significant displeasure, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) and CCG are readily available actors and are best suited to attract international attention,” emphasized the experts, indicating a trend likely to persist.
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