The drills conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Monday aim to deter Taiwan separatist forces led by the region’s leader Lai Ching-te, according to Taiwan commentators.
The PLA's Eastern Theater Command on Monday sent its army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct "Joint Sword-2024B" drills in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan.
The media in Taiwan reported the PLA drills, calling them a response to Lai's separatist speech delivered on Oct 10.
"I think the mainland drills are mainly aimed at deterrence. Why did it conduct the drills after Lai's speech on Oct 10? We know there are some expressions different from his previous remarks, but his words about the new 'two states' theory remain those that he has repeated many times since taking office. Of course, it incurred the mainland's deterrence against the Taiwan separatist forces," said Yu Tzu-hsiang, a professor at Shih Hsin University.
The CCG announced that its formations 2901, 1305, 1303 and 2102 conducted law enforcement patrols in the waters surrounding Taiwan island on Monday. On the same day, the Fujian Coast Guard said that it organized a formation of vessels to conduct comprehensive law enforcement patrols in the waters near the islands of Dongyin and Matsu.
Hsieh Chih-chuan, a Taiwan current affairs commentator, said the coast guard patrols show the mainland's capability of fully sealing off Taiwan.
"This time the mainland also dispatched four coast guard ships to sail around Taiwan and block all of its six seaports. The mainland's operations aim to not only deter Taiwan separatist forces, but tell Taiwan that the mainland has the capability of fully blocking the surrounding areas of Taiwan, including all ports of Taiwan. The operations also tell the external forces that 'you want to come here? no way!'" said Hsieh.
PLA, CCG drills aim to deter Taiwan separatist forces: commentators
PLA, CCG drills aim to deter Taiwan separatist forces: commentators
PLA, CCG drills aim to deter Taiwan separatist forces: commentators
Peruvian university student Anna Paula Peralta said she hopes to use her Chinese language skills to help bridge cultural divides, building on efforts between leaders as the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting takes place in the Peruvian capital of Lima.
This year's meeting is being held on Friday and Saturday under the theme "Empower, Include, Grow", gathering heads of state and other dignitaries from 21 member economies across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, the United States, and other major economies in Southeast Asia.
With the world eying China's advancement of its ties with numerous Asia-Pacific countries at the summit, Peralta emphasized that China has long made efforts to help young people like her learn the Chinese language and immerse themselves in its rich culture.
"I studied at Jilin University in China. I studied Chinese for one year at that university. I also studied at a Chinese school in Peru for 11 years. There, I learned about Chinese culture, which inspired me to learn more about the language at the Confucius Institute. At the same time, I also participated in the Chinese Bridge Chinese proficiency competition in Peru and won the second place. I received a scholarship that gave me the opportunity to learn Chinese more deeply and get to know China better. This experience was really great. China provides many opportunities for Peruvians who are interested in learning Chinese language and culture, including scholarships and exchange programs," she said.
Peralta hopes the APEC meeting brings about more fruitful partnerships and contributes to the sustainable development of all APEC members.
In the future, Peralta aims to utilize her knowledge of communication to promote cultural exchanges between China and Peru, serving as a bridge between the two peoples.
"I am currently studying communication at the University of Lima in Peru. I hope that the topics discussed at APEC can include cooperation agreements between stronger countries and weaker countries to create opportunities for economic growth in isolated communities. At the same time, environmental protection is also important. It is very important to protect and conserve the natural resources of APEC members," she said.
Peruvian student expects to build closer ties with China through APEC
