China's Taiwan Drills: A Show of Force to Mask Internal Instability?

China's recent large-scale military drills near Taiwan are viewed by analysts not just as external intimidation but as a projection of strength to mask internal instability and leadership purges within the People's Liberation Army.

China has conducted one of its most wide-ranging military exercises around Taiwan in recent years, a show of force that analysts say reflects not only external intimidation but also growing instability within the upper echelons of the Chinese armed forces.

Observers argue that China is projecting strength outward to mask turbulence and factional tensions at home, as reported by The Epoch Times.

Details of the Military Manoeuvres

According to The Epoch Times, the drills began just days before the New Year, with China's military conducting live-fire exercises in waters near Taiwan. Warships, bombers, drones and amphibious assault vessels were mobilised in what Chinese commanders described as a test of their ability to blockade ports and seize key areas. Taiwan's defence authorities said the latest manoeuvres were unusually aggressive, noting that several Chinese rockets landed inside Taiwan's contiguous zone and that naval and coast guard vessels sailed dangerously close to the island.

Exercises Coincide with Military Purge

China framed the operation as a warning to Taiwan and what it calls "external interference", following recent US arms sales to the island. However, Taiwanese security analysts believe the timing also coincides with political pressure inside the Chinese Communist Party.

The exercises came shortly after Beijing elevated Yang Zhibin to head the Eastern Theatre Command, a strategically crucial post responsible for operations related to Taiwan. Yang's promotion unfolded amid an intensifying anti-corruption purge within the People's Liberation Army. Dozens of senior officers have been removed in recent months, including several figures previously linked to President Xi Jinping. Analysts say the Eastern Theatre Command has been hit particularly hard, making it a focal point of political cleansing as Beijing seeks to reassert control over the military, according to The Epoch Times.

A Deliberate Show of Force

The drills also followed closely after a rare Shanghai-Taipei forum aimed at easing cross-strait tensions, making the sudden escalation appear especially deliberate. Experts argue that Beijing is using Taiwan to demonstrate that the PLA remains operational despite internal scandals while also sending a warning to Washington and Tokyo, according to The Epoch Times.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)