China Criticizes Taiwan War Games as Military Tensions Rise

China on Friday condemned Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises as a “wasteful charade”, accusing Taipei of stoking fears of war as the island conducts 10 days of drills simulating a potential Chinese attack.

The comments were China’s first official response since the exercises began last week. Taiwan, a democratically governed island that rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, launched the drills as Chinese military activity around the island continues to increase.

Taiwan Simulates Chinese Attack

The Han Kuang exercises are designed to prepare Taiwan’s armed forces and civilian infrastructure for a range of scenarios involving a potential Chinese assault.

This year’s drills include simulations of breaking a maritime blockade and, for the first time, measures to slow mobile internet services during a conflict.

China’s Defence Ministry dismissed the exercises as political posturing.

“The so-called ‘Han Kuang exercise’ has always been a posturing, wasteful charade,” ministry spokesperson Chen Xi said.

He accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of “stoking war panic” and said Taipei was accelerating efforts to turn cities into battlefields.

China Warns It Is Ready to Respond

Chen said the People’s Liberation Army remained on high alert and was strengthening its real combat capabilities to counter what Beijing calls “separatism and external interference.”

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, although Beijing says it prefers “peaceful reunification.”

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only its people can determine the island’s future.

The Chinese military continues to operate almost daily in the airspace and waters around Taiwan, keeping tensions high across the Taiwan Strait.

With information from Reters.