In a significant escalation of regional tensions, the People’s Liberation Army has initiated comprehensive military exercises surrounding Taiwan, which Chinese military experts characterize as an essential countermeasure to recent US-Taiwan defense collaborations. The drills come as a direct response to Washington’s unprecedented approval of over $11.1 billion in advanced weaponry to Taiwan, marking the largest arms package in the history of US-Taiwan relations.
Fu Zhengnan, a prominent researcher at the PLA’s Academy of Military Science, emphasized that the latest American arms transfer represents a substantial escalation in both scale and strategic nature. The package notably shifts from previous defensive systems to explicitly offensive capabilities, fundamentally altering the regional security landscape.
This development, according to Fu, constitutes a severe violation of the foundational principles established in the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the August 17 Communique. The inclusion of integrated systems such as the Taiwan Tactical Network and Team Awareness Kit effectively transforms Taiwan’s regional forces into an extension of the US combat infrastructure, dramatically increasing the potential for direct confrontation between major powers.
Despite repeated diplomatic warnings from Beijing, the continued US-Taiwan military collaboration has compelled China to undertake these necessary and lawful defensive measures. Fu underscored that protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity represents the unanimous will of China’s 1.4 billion citizens, including patriotic compatriots in Taiwan.
The military scholar concluded with a stark warning to separatist elements, stating that regardless of external support, acquired weaponry, or political disguises, the pursuit of Taiwan independence remains fundamentally doomed to failure.