Kaohsiung: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te visited frontline military units on Friday to express his gratitude and boost morale among the armed forces, as the government warned of potential Chinese military exercises timed around the anniversary of Lai’s first year in office.
A senior Taiwanese government official stated on Thursday that Beijing may hold fresh drills near the island to “stir up trouble” around the upcoming one-year mark of Lai’s presidency, which falls on Tuesday. The official noted that such actions would not be unprecedented, especially given the rising tensions in cross-strait relations.
China has repeatedly labeled Lai a “separatist” and rejected his calls for dialogue. In turn, Lai has stood firm on Taiwan’s sovereignty, asserting that the island’s future should be determined solely by its own people, not by external powers.
In a show of support, Lai visited army engineers and anti-submarine helicopter crews at military installations in Kaohsiung, a key southern port city. His visits, held ahead of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival later this month, were part of broader efforts to reinforce military readiness.
Addressing helicopter crews at Kaohsiung’s Zuoying naval base, Lai said, “Both the army engineers and the navy’s anti-submarine aviation command are the cornerstones of the nation’s armed forces’ military strength, and also indispensable to the overall national defence strategy.”
“It is only because of your hard work and dedication that the military continues to thrive and the nation’s people can live and work in peace and happiness,” he added. “Let’s work together to protect national security.”
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Though Lai did not explicitly mention China or potential drills in his remarks, he was joined by key security officials, including Defence Minister Wellington Koo and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu—signaling the high level of concern within Taiwan’s leadership.
Meanwhile, both China’s Defence Ministry and the Taiwan Affairs Office stepped up verbal pressure this week, describing Lai as a “Taiwan Strait crisis maker” and accusing him of escalating tensions and endangering peace in the region.
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Last month, Beijing launched military exercises dubbed “Strait Thunder-2025A” near Taiwan, part of a growing pattern of named war games. The “A” suffix suggested a sequence of exercises could follow. In May, China had also conducted drills labeled “Joint Sword – 2024A” shortly after Lai assumed office, and later held “Joint Sword – 2024B” in October of the same year.
Taiwan’s defense ministry remains on high alert and continues to monitor Chinese movements closely, amid growing regional military activity and geopolitical friction.
