Taiwan is closely watching the Chinese military activities in China’s Dacheng Bay in Fujian Province, south of China. The national defense ministry described the troop movements of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as “abnormal” in a recent press address.
The Ministry of National Defense released an air force surveillance photograph of a PLA Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft on the evening of Sept. 21, while addressing more than 20 PLA aircraft have been spotted along the Taiwan Straits, and some of them entering Taiwan’s southwest and southeast airspace.
Taiwanese Minister Qiu Guozheng said to the press the next day that the Chinese troops movement has been “highly unusual.”
Su Tzu-yun, director of the Institute for National Defense Security Research in Taiwan, believes the “highly unusual” activities refer to the PLA’s recent sea and air exercise combined with the ground troops known as a battle-level military exercise.
It’s unusual because the naval and air forces were specially mobilized to the southeast of Taiwan, and the size of the troops dispatched may be larger than before, Mr. Su explained to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.
Considering that September is the peak period of joint exercises, Taiwan’s senior military analyst Qi Leyi wasn’t surprised by the PLA’s coercion toward Taiwan.
“The minister also said that it has been going on for a long time,” Mr. Qi said. However, the military exercises in Fujian were disclosed for the first time, and the main difference is rather “the frequency and intensity of Chinese military drills are increasing,” said Mr. Qi.
In the press talk, Minister Chiu indicated that the PLA has been conducting joint exercises throughout this month, but the ministry has been watching and is committed to describing the facts as they stand.
Xi’s Power Struggle
Recently, Beijing has been carrying out a new wave of major purges in the military.Li Shangfu, the current Minister of Defense has disappeared since Aug. 29 when he made a public appearance at the 3rd China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing. Multiple sources confirmed that Mr. Li has been arrested over a corruption investigation.
Mr. Su said the intensified PLA drills are unusual when the PLA is undergoing a major shakeup.
He analyzed the military drills are Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s tactics to regain the morale and cohesion of the PLA and declare his authority in the military, “He’s trying to stabilize the barrel of gun with such a high scale coordinated military exercise,” said Mr. Su.
It is said that the PLA is panicking with the recent military graft probe. Mr. Qi said the drills will demonstrate to the world that everything is still under Xi Jinping’s control, despite the purging shows political upheaval continues in China.
Mr. Su also agreed that the PLA drills were mainly responding to political and military turmoil in Beijing. However, Taiwan will certainly not take it lightly.
“Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has recently taken the initiative to expose PLA activities. This is called intelligence deterrence. To put it simply, it’s to tell the enemy it’s been watched. It will reduce the potential of the enemy strike,” said Mr. Su.
