Key facts
- China's defense ministry called Taiwan's Han Kuang military drills a 'wasteful charade'.
- The ministry accused Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party of stoking war panic.
- The drills rehearse scenarios for a potential Chinese invasion, including breaking a maritime blockade.
- For the first time, the exercises included simulating the slowing of mobile internet.
- China stated its military is on high alert and prepared to counter separatism and external interference.
China's defense ministry on Friday dismissed Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills as a "wasteful charade" that "stoked war panic," marking the Chinese government's first official comment on the exercises that began last week.
Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, initiated the 10-day war games as China increases its military presence around the island. The exercises are designed to rehearse various scenarios should China attempt to seize the island by force, including breaking a maritime blockade and, for the first time, slowing mobile internet.
"The so-called 'Han Kuang exercise' has always been a posturing, wasteful charade," stated Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Chen Xi. He added that "The Democratic Progressive Party authorities have also recklessly stoked war panic, accelerating efforts to turn cities into battlefields and push ordinary people to the front lines."
Chen further commented that the People's Liberation Army remains on high alert and is fully prepared, continuously enhancing its real-combat capabilities to "counter separatism and external interference." He described this readiness as "the solid trump card for safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
While China has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, it states a preference for "peaceful reunification." Taiwan's government maintains that only its people can decide their future and regularly criticizes China's pressure campaign. The Chinese military frequently operates in the skies and waters surrounding Taiwan.