China staged various military drills all around Taiwan’s coasts on Tuesday in a show of force after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to counter Beijing’s “aggression” during his first trip to Asia.
China deployed ships, aircraft, and artillery around the north, south and east coasts of Taiwan to practice blockading and attacking the island nation, Beijing’s Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.
The drills took place after Hegseth left the region following visits to Japan and the Philippines, where he criticized China and touted Japan as a key ally to bolster America’s military capabilities in the region.
This image released by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense shows China’s Shandong aircraft carrier sailing near Taiwan on Monday, March 31, 2025. AP“Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression,” Hegseth touted.
Because Beijing want’s to avoid any “perceived confrontation” with Washington prior to US-China trade talks, the Chinese army chose to puff its chest by targeting Taiwan, a senior Taipei official told Reuters.
“Taiwan is their best excuse. That’s why they chose to launch such military drills as soon as the US defense secretary left Asia,” the official said.
Taiwanese military warships are seen at a harbor in Keelung on April 1, 2025. AFP via Getty ImagesBeijing claimed that drills, which were not formally named unlike last year’s war games, served as a “stern warning” against Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who Chinese officials slammed as a “parasite” and “separatists.”
Taiwanese officials said more than 10 Chinese military ships had gotten as close as 24 miles of Taiwan’s contiguous zone, with Taipei deploying its own warships to respond.
Taiwan’s ministry of defense said at least 71 Chinese aircraft and another 13 navy ships were also involved.
In a video celebrating the military drills, the Eastern Theatre Command displayed a picture of Lai as a green bug held by chopsticks over a burning Taiwan with the word “parasite” written in English.
Lai, whose inauguration triggered similar drills last May, condemned the drills and slammed Beijing as “widely recognized by the international community as a troublemaker.”
Senior Taiwan Defense Ministry intelligence officer Hsieh Jih-sheng speaks during a press conference at the ministry in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 1, 2025, after China announced military drills encircling Taiwan. REUTERS
The command, which operates in the South China Sea, organized land, sea, air, and fire forces to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island, according to machine translation. Peoples Liberation Army via StoryfulTaiwan’s government, who reject Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, warned that the autonomous island nation is fully capable of defending itself.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said China launched military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, April 1. Peoples Liberation Army via StoryfulThe American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy, also slammed the drills and said the US will continue to support the island.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during an international business meeting at The Great Hall Of The People on March 28, 2025, in Beijing, China. Getty Images“Once again, China has shown that it is not a responsible actor and has no problem putting the region’s security and prosperity at risk,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Beijing claimed that the drills were “legitimate” and warned that Taiwan’s annexation was inevitable.
China’s reunification is an unstoppable trend — it will happen, and it must happen” Guo Jiakun, a Beijing spokesperson, said at a regular news conference on Tuesday.
With Post wires
