People’s Liberation Army activities in the Taiwan Strait are being closely watched by the United States and Japan and it needs to find a way to operate effectively while being surveilled, according to analysts.
A report by Beijing-based defence think tank Lande said the PLA’s most recent large-scale drills around Taiwan – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were launched with no warning yet the response from the US and Japan was immediate.
It said that highlighted the constant presence in the region of the two militaries and their ability to react quickly.
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“Multi-dimensional surveillance” was also pointed out by other analysts, who said the PLA must factor this into planning if its goal was to carry out a surprise attack across the strait.
The think tank report said that when the two-day PLA exercise began on December 29, US and Japanese spy planes had either diverted from routine patrol routes to circle nearby or they carried out sorties to the drill areas.
PLA kicks off military exercises around Taiwan
PLA kicks off military exercises around Taiwan
The aircraft included the US MQ-4C Triton drone and Japanese surveillance plane the Falcon 2000MSA, according to the report, which cited open-source flight path tracking data.
