PLA wraps up day of joint force blockade drills around Taiwan

Joint Sword-2024B exercise focused on sea-and air-combat readiness patrols, and ability to block key ports

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The Liaoning aircraft carrier was part of PLA drills around Taiwan on Monday. Photo: PLA Navy

Jun Mai,Amber Wang,Enoch WongandLawrence Chung

Published: 8:20am, 14 Oct 2024Updated: 2:25am, 15 Oct 2024

The People’s Liberation Army announced on Monday evening that it had wrapped up its blockade drills around Taiwan, saying it had “fully tested the integrated joint operation capabilities” of its troops.

The Joint Sword-2024B exercises started at around dawn and included the aircraft carrier Liaoning sailing to the strategic east of the island.

The manoeuvres, which included land and sea strikes, were conducted to the north, south and east of Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait, with the goal of testing the PLA’s joint operation abilities, according to PLA Eastern Theatre Command spokesman Senior Captain Li Xi.

They also came just days after Beijing hit out at a defiant speech by the island’s leader William Lai Ching-te.

Li said the drills were a message to independence forces on Taiwan.

“[They are] stern deterrence to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation to safeguard state sovereignty and integrity,” Li said.

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PLA launches blockade drills around Taiwan, days after speech by island’s leader