The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on the morning of the 29th at 7:30 that it would conduct the "Justice Mission-2025" exercise. At the same time, the Eastern Theater Command released a joint training notice and an illustration, declaring that important military exercises and live-fire shooting would be conducted in the surrounding sea areas and air space of Taiwan from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the 30th.
In response, local media in Taiwan described the PLA's exercise as a "sudden attack," with headlines such as "The 'Justice Mission-2025' Training Area Encircles Taiwan." The Taiwan-based "Liberty Times" reported that the Eastern Theater Command suddenly announced on the 29th that it would hold a circum-island military exercise targeting Taiwan, named "Justice Mission-2025," with training areas covering all four directions of Taiwan Island. Meanwhile, the "Central News Agency" directly pointed out the areas involved in the exercise: according to the coordinates and images released, there are five zones, located north of Keelung, east of Taitung, south of Pingtung, the western and southern waters of Penghu, and the Taiwan Strait area from northwest of Taoyuan to Matsu, forming a surrounding态势 around Taiwan.
Compared to the simple interpretation by Taiwanese media, as of the time when the Global Times went to press, the relevant departments in the Taiwan region had not made any response yet.
To help the relevant departments in the Taiwan region better understand the PLA's intentions, the Global Times interviewed Professor Zhang Chi from the National Defense University for an analysis of the designated areas of this exercise. Zhang Chi introduced that this exercise has set up five training areas, two to the north of the island, two to the south, and one to the east.
Zhang Chi stated that, based on the designation of the exercise areas, this exercise has three characteristics: First, tightening the chain. This exercise area is closer to the Taiwan Island than previous ones. After the exercise begins, our naval and air forces quickly approach the island from multiple directions, establishing an integrated blockading posture. This indicates that every time the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and external interference forces provoke, the PLA will take a step forward. The more severe the provocation by the "Taiwan independence" separatists and external interference forces, the tighter the PLA's blockade of the island will be; the stronger the anti-unification tide, the stronger the tide of unification will be.
The second characteristic is encircling the island from three sides. Unlike previous exercises, the five areas form a "three-sided encirclement" of the island, sending a clear message that relying on foreign forces to seek "independence" is a dead end; returning to the motherland is the right path.
The third feature is "closing the door to beat the dog." The targeting and direction of this exercise are more explicit. The two areas to the north of the island are not only aimed at the "main culprit" of "Taiwan independence"—the Lai Ching-te administration—but also closely adjacent to the offshore area of the island's northern important port, effectively announcing the blockade of that port; the two areas to the south of the island aim to strike the "base" of the "Taiwan independence" separatists and are close to the maritime and air space of the island's southern important ports and military bases, effectively cutting off the island's largest maritime route; the one area to the east of the island targets the main channel through which external forces assist the DPP administration.
"This shows that the PLA has a firm determination and strong capability to cut off this channel and prevent external interference. Overall, these five areas have formed a situation of 'closing the door to beat the dog' against the DPP administration," Zhang Chi concluded.
Source: Global Times
Original: toutiao.com/article/7589088883028148745/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.