PLA drills surrounding Taiwan island "a just move": mainland

BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The drills conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday in the Taiwan Strait and in areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan island were a just move to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks regarding the PLA Eastern Theater Command's drills code-named "Joint Sword-2024B," which involved troops from the army, navy, air force and rocket force.

The drills were a resolute punishment and a warning against Lai Ching-te for his persistent "Taiwan independence" fallacies and separatist rhetoric, and a powerful deterrent against the provocations of separatist elements seeking "Taiwan independence," Chen said.

He said that since taking office as the region's leader, Lai has been obstinately adhering to the separatist position, seriously challenging the one-China principle and colluding with external forces to continuously make provocations aimed at "Taiwan independence," which severely undermines cross-Strait relations and poses a grave threat to peace and stability in the Strait.

"Taiwan independence" and peace in the Strait are as irreconcilable as fire and water, Chen said, warning that if the Taiwan authorities, led by Lai, continue to instigate separatist provocations, they will plunge the people of Taiwan into an abyss of calamity.

Chen stressed that the national reunification is an unstoppable trend of history and brooks no challenge.

"Our determination to solve the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification is rock-solid; our ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unbreakable; and our actions to punish 'Taiwan independence' separatist provocations and foil separatist attempts will be decisive and powerful," Chen said.

Chen pointed out that the countermeasures only target "Taiwan independence" elements' separatist activities and interference by external forces, and are by no means targeting Taiwan compatriots.

He called on Taiwan compatriots to safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation, keep pace with the trends of history, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" and external interference, and work with compatriots on the mainland to pursue a bright future of national reunification and rejuvenation.