Taiwan War - Intel News

Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected a brigade of the Rocket Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), where he became familiar with their combat readiness. Particular attention was paid to the Dongfeng-26 medium-range ballistic missiles, which are the brigade's main weapons. Xi's trip is a landmark event that demonstrates the priority he places on the Rocket Force, which is seen as a key deterrent and possibly a tool for resolving the Taiwan issue.

South Africa has asked Taiwan to move its de facto embassy out of its administrative capital, Pretoria. It has given Taipei six months to relocate its liaison office to the commercial hub of Johannesburg. While Taipei has accused Pretoria of bowing to pressure from China, Beijing has welcomed the decision.

“The One China principle is the political foundation for China to establish and develop diplomatic relations with countries. It is also a widely recognized norm in international relations” said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning.

“We appreciate South Africa's correct decision to relocate the Taipei liaison office out of its administrative capital, Pretoria. Taiwan independence is unpopular and doomed to failure” she said.

China opened its embassy in South Africa in 1998, a year after Pretoria severed formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

China will never promise to renounce the use of force on Taiwan, a position that targets external interference and the small minority of separatists. "We are willing to commit to the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and commitment," Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Beijing government's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on the latest large-scale maneuvers on October 14 around the island ('Joint Sword 2024/B').     But we will never commit to renouncing the use of force". However, the posture is against interference from "external forces" and "the very small number of separatists".

China has announced that military exercises around Taiwan, which were revealed this morning, have now ended. They involved 125 Chinese military aircraft. Chinese troops were practicing blockading the island.

A Taiwanese Air Force F-16 fighter jet tracking a Chinese Navy J-15 carrier-based fighters during large-scale PLA exercises off the coast of the island.

Mainland Chinese State Media, Global Times on Twitter/X:

The PLA Eastern Theater Command launched the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills around Taiwan island on Monday.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov arrived in Beijing on an official visit for talks with the military and military-political leadership of China, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov arrived in Beijing on an official visit for talks with the military and military-political leadership of China, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

As answer for the statements by the New President of Republic of China ("Taiwan") against a forceful unification or even denoting the existence of "Two Chinas", the People's Republic of China launched a new military exercise surrounding the Island of Taiwan. The name chosen by the People's Liberation Army was quite straightforward: “Joint Sword-2024B”. Mainland Chinese State Media, Global Times on Twitter/X:

On Monday, the PLA Eastern Theater Command is dispatching its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct joint military drills code-named “Joint Sword-2024B” in the Taiwan Straits and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan island.

President Lai Ching-te: Mainland China is not Taiwan's homeland. Taiwan's (ROC) leader says his country has political roots older than the People's Republic of China (PRC).

China has launched large-scale military exercises around Taiwan aimed at blockading key ports and territories - Reuters. Beijing said it was a warning against "separatist actions" by Taiwan independence supporters and a necessary measure to protect China's sovereignty. The exercises cover the Taiwan Strait and areas north, south and east of the island, and involve the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Chinese ships and aircraft are approaching the island "in close proximity from multiple directions," focusing on maritime and air combat readiness patrols, attacking sea and land targets, and "jointly pursuing comprehensive superiority" the Chinese command said. Taiwan calls the moves a "blatant provocation" that undermines regional peace and has called an emergency cabinet meeting.

US says Taiwan speech does not justify China's military pressure. China has no justification for using an annual speech on Taiwan's national holiday as a pretext for military pressure, the US said.

"While we have not seen significant military activities or exercises following previous speeches, we are prepared for Beijing to choose to use this as a pretext this year" the senior US administration official said. "Again, we see no justification for a routine annual celebration to be used in this manner. Coercive actions like this against Taiwan and in the cross-strait context, in our view, undermine cross-strait stability" the official added.

Most Taiwanese think China is unlikely to invade in next five years, poll finds. Most Taiwanese think China is unlikely to invade in the next five years, but they see Beijing as a serious threat to the democratic island, according to a poll conducted by Taiwan's top military think tank. The poll of about 1,200 people conducted last month by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research showed that 61 percent of people thought it was "unlikely or very unlikely" that China would attack Taiwan in the next five years. More than 67 percent of respondents said they would retaliate if China attacked, but they were nearly evenly split on whether Taiwan's military could defend the island, with half expressing confidence and half expressing distrust.

Two Chinese aircraft carriers, Shandong and Liaoning, are docked at the Sanya naval base. By 2030, according to the current shipbuilding program, China should have 4 full-fledged AUGs (aircraft carrier + escort ships). By the time of a hypothetical war for Taiwan, China could have 3 AUGs that could support operations to blockade the island.

Taiwan president is escalating tensions, says Chinese government. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is escalating tensions with "sinister intentions." That's according to the Chinese government, ahead of a "key" speech Lai will give in Taipei that could trigger a Chinese military response.

'Impossible' for PRC to Become Our Motherland, Says Taiwan President. It is "impossible" for the PRC to become Taiwan's motherland because Taiwan has older political roots, the island's President Lai Ching-te has said.

U.S. Coast Guard encounters joint Chinese Coast Guard, and Russian Border Guard patrol in the Bering Sea.