The "Strait Thunder-2025A" military exercises launched by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait serve as a deterrence to the separatist forces in Taiwan, said a military analyst on Wednesday.
The exercises focus on subjects of identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention to test the troops' capabilities of area seizure and control, joint blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets.
The PLA announced earlier on Tuesday that its Eastern Theater Command has mobilized multiple forces to conduct a new round of close-in joint exercises around the Taiwan Island, with field, marine, air and rocket forces units closing in on the island from multiple directions.
The "Strait Thunder-2025A" exercises are part of the joint exercises of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, and the exercises have special connotations with or without a code name, said Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst.
"Starting from Tuesday, the PLA Eastern Theater Command organized field, marine, air and rocket forces units to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island. The exercises demonstrated the PLA's capabilities of rapid assembly and swift force maneuver. It can be seen as a direct warning to the 'Taiwan secession' forces and their followers. The joint exercises did not disclose a codename at that time, indicating that the exercises will never adopt a predictable mode. The PLA, upon receiving orders, can firmly establish control over the Taiwan Strait within the shortest timeframe, enabling comprehensive suppression of the 'Taiwan secession' forces, which is entirely geared towards practical combat objectives, focusing on organizing and utilizing forces for victory and domination," said Wei.
"On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command announced the 'Strait Thunder-2025A' exercises were launched in the relevant region. So this codename is highly targeted, reflecting the PLA's rapid and intense response akin to thunder bolt. Primarily aimed at the 'Taiwan secession' forces on the island, the PLA intends to deter them forcefully and execute precise strikes with thunderous strikes. By disclosing the exercise's codename, the PLA clearly showcases the nature and purpose of the military actions, sending a clear signal, which I believe has been clearly received by the 'Taiwan secession' forces, warning them that if they continue to play with fire and abandon their historical roots, the consequences are foreseeable," said the military analyst.
PLA's 'Strait Thunder-2025A' exercises a deterrent to Taiwan secessionists: analyst
