Taiwan scholar highlights powerful deterrence of PLA drills

A scholar in China's Taiwan region underscored the powerful deterrence of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s ongoing military exercise around the island to separatists and external forces in an interview with China Global Television Network.

The Eastern Theater Command of the PLA on Monday started drills code-named "Justice Mission 2025" in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan Island.

Yuann Jeu-jenq, a professor at Taiwan University, slashed the arms sales to Taiwan recently announced by the United States and Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's pompous remarks for sparking the PLA drills.

"The United States has recently announced a package of arms sales totaling more than 11.1 billion U.S. dollars to Taiwan, which is intolerable. And then, Lai Ching-te said in Taiwan that the mainland does not have the capabilities to take Taiwan by force. So, the arms sales and the big talk together led to this military exercise," Yuann said.

Yuann noted a striking highlight of the PLA drills, which is the immediate engagement in live-fire drills from the outset, saying it marks the mainland's intensified response to separatists' provocations.

"This exercise holds significant difference from the previous ones. That is, the drill began with naval gun shelling. Previously, the 'Joint Sword 2024' and the 'Strait Thunder' began live-fire drills after forces reached their designated positions. While this time, guns were fired in the beginning. So, it's extremely powerful," Yuann said.

Condemning both the Taiwan authorities and the United States for the arms deal, Yuann emphasized that peaceful reunification is the right path for Taiwan to achieve greater prosperity.

"As a small island, Taiwan is purchasing arms recklessly, and the United States is selling recklessly. Will the recent U.S. arms sales to Taiwan be of any use? We don't know. And yet the amount reached 11.1 billion U.S. dollars. I think that all people in Taiwan, if they truly understand, they will be very angry, especially me. I'm also a taxpayer. How could they squander my money on these useless weapons? Taiwan can have development only in a peaceful environment. So, only by reunification can Taiwan's economy improve and become more prosperous," he said.

Taiwan scholar highlights powerful deterrence of PLA drills

The Lai Ching-te administration's bid to seek Taiwan secession by leaning on external forces is doomed to be crushed, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Recently, Lai again preached his secessionist agenda when meeting with Japanese politicians who were visiting Taiwan.

Zhang Han, the spokeswoman, slammed Lai's actions as a sellout of Taiwan's interests at a press conference in Beijing.

"In exchange for external support for its separatist agenda, the Lai Ching-te administration is repeating the tired refrain of 'democracy versus authoritarianism,' while turning a blind eye to the danger of Japan's right-wing forces marching ever further down a militarist path. It is fawning on Tokyo without any principle, ignoring the plight of the island's high-tech sector being hollowed out at will by Western powers, and selling out Taiwan's interests in a no-holds-barred fashion. The Lai administration's scheme to rely on external forces to seek secession will be thoroughly crushed," she said.

Lai Ching-te's secessionist attempt of leaning on external powers doomed to fail: spokeswoman