On the second day of the Chinese army’s major maneuvers around Taiwan, Chinese warships and fighter planes were still encircling what is considered a rebel province by Beijing on Friday, May 24. These major maneuvers also take place on a propaganda level: China presents these exercises as “ a test of ability to take power ” on the island.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Beijing, Stéphane Lagarde
In all sobriety, the video is titled: “ Destroy ! Hit ! To break ! ”, with exclamation points after each character. Produced by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, we see a deluge of missiles falling on Taiwanwith to finish, these verses in blood-red characters: “ Hot-blooded defender of the fatherland. Drawing the long sword against the wind. »
Posters, video clips, summons of experts, the fanfare of the official media repeats in a loop the messages displayed at the highest level of the State, criminalizing the new administration in Taipei and its representatives described as “ supporters of independence ” and therefore “ dangerous separatists “.
“ Common sharp sword »
The military maps of these major encirclement maneuvers, called “Common Sharp Sword 2024A”, recall operations of the same type and bearing the same name, in the summer of 2022 after the passage of Nancy Pelosi, then President of the House of Representatives Americans in Taipei, or in spring 2023.
Read alsoAround Taiwan, military exercises “completed successfully”, says Beijing
Beijing trumpets Chinese public opinion, and the rest of the world, that the new Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, is a troublemaker. These exercises constitute a “ severe punishment ” against the ” separatists » of the island, with again, a great return of hemoglobin, since the latter “ will end in blood ”, according to state media. An opinion which is inevitably unanimous; central television China has published A “ global online survey » indicating that more than 90% of those questioned condemn the comments “ dangerous » of the Taiwanese president in his inauguration speech on May 20.
Read alsoBeijing launches military maneuvers around Taiwan, a “punishment” against the new president