PLA fully capable of crushing secessionist attempts

Editor's note: The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command launched large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan Island under the codename "Justice Mission 2025" on Monday. Two military experts shared their views with China Daily. Excerpts follow:

During the exercise, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command conducted robust drills in the Taiwan Strait to send a clear message that they were directed solely at the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces who are colluding with external forces, and by no means at Taiwan compatriots.

Issuing a notice and a sketch map, the PLA Eastern Theater Command specified that the drills were being conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast, and east of the Taiwan island.

The exercises are taking place closer to the island than in previous drills. Following the commencement of the drills, PLA naval and air forces swiftly approached the island from multiple directions, executing a systematic blockade and control. This indicates that the PLA will respond resolutely and face every provocation from "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and external entities. The egregious collusion and provocation by such forces will only be met with tighter blockade and control of the island by the PLA. And the countercurrent of "Taiwan independence", no matter how rampant, is doomed to failure against the strong and powerful historical trend of reunification.

In the waters and airspace in the middle areas of the Taiwan Strait, the PLA Eastern Theater Command employed fighters, bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles. These units, in coordination with long-range rocket fires, carried out strike exercises against mobile ground targets, effectively testing their precision strike capabilities.

Precision strikes on key targets are a focus of the drills, with participating forces swiftly tracking, aiming, deterring, and striking against relevant mobile targets on the Taiwan island. This aims to ensure that the offensive weapons purchased by the island's secessionist-minded authorities from external forces can be completely destroyed at any moment.

The PLA will be able to precisely eliminate weapons acquired through any arms deal made by the island authorities.

Zhang Chi, an associate professor of the National Defense University, the People's Liberation Army.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.