People News – On October 14, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted a rare "Joint Sword-2024B" military exercise encircling Taiwan. The exercise involved multiple branches, including the army, navy, air force, and rocket force, carrying out multi-domain blockades and strategic area control operations. The exercise was described as being prepared for "immediate action upon receiving orders." At 6 p.m. that day, the spokesperson for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, Li Xi, announced the "successful completion" of the drill.

This military exercise drew concern and condemnation from Western countries.

On the same day, China’s Defense Minister met with Russia’s Defense Minister in Beijing, where both sides pledged to deepen military cooperation. Major Chinese state media reported that Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun called for "deepening strategic coordination" with Russia and "advancing the continuous development of military relations." Dong also stated that the China-Russia relationship, "under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin," serves as a model for major power relations.

According to a report from Agence France-Presse, Russia’s Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that the friendly relationship between the two countries’ leaders plays a key role in strengthening strategic cooperation.

The next day, Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with the Russian Defense Minister, expressing China’s willingness to work with Russia to strengthen "high-level strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation" and pledged to deepen and expand bilateral military relations.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Moscow and Beijing have grown closer. This alliance has raised concerns in the West, as both China and Russia seek to expand their global influence.

Before Russia attacked Ukraine, China and Russia announced a "no limits" partnership, and since then, the two countries have held several joint military exercises. While Western countries have continued to condemn and sanction Chinese companies that support Russia militarily, China has used civilian trade and economic means to secretly provide assistance to Russia.

At the same time, top Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, and Han Zheng, have visited Russia in the past year. Xi is expected to attend the BRICS summit in Russia next week, where he will likely meet with Putin again.

In late August, Chinese Army Commander Li Qiaoming led a military delegation to Moscow to discuss military cooperation, and both sides have been supporting each other in times of difficulty. There have been reports that China has deployed helicopters at Russian military bases and sent tens of thousands of laborers to assist Russian forces in a disguised manner.

In September, Chinese and Russian navies held joint exercises in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. Putin described this as one of the largest naval exercises in the past 30 years, featuring air defense and anti-submarine warfare. Last month, Chinese and Russian naval fleets conducted their fifth joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean.

Earlier in October, Chinese and Russian coast guards carried out a joint patrol in the Arctic Ocean. This was not only the first joint action in the Arctic for the two nations but also the first time a Chinese coast guard vessel entered Arctic waters.

An August report from the U.S. military stated that China and Russia are increasingly deploying unprecedented integrated strike capabilities aimed at the U.S. mainland, posing a growing military threat to the United States.

On October 15, Russia’s Defense Minister visited Beijing. According to a statement from China’s Ministry of National Defense, Zhang Youxia told Belousov during their meeting, "We hope both sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen and expand military relations, and jointly safeguard international and regional peace and stability."

Belousov responded that Russia is willing to continue strengthening practical cooperation in various fields with China and expanding the scope and content of cooperation, continuously deepening the "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" between Russia and China.

The international community is puzzled by these developments. While Russia is bogged down in Ukraine and China is conducting military exercises around Taiwan, the question remains: Who is truly undermining regional peace and stability, and whose national sovereignty is under threat? The Russian military is stuck in a quagmire in Ukraine and struggling to manage its own problems, raising the question of whether it can also support North Korea’s missile tests or help China invade Taiwan. Who is truly creating danger?

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that during Belousov’s visit to Beijing, he would hold a series of consultations with China’s military and military-political leadership.

China’s strategy of aligning with Russia in the north while potentially threatening Taiwan and the Philippines in the south is a cause for concern.

Regarding the military drill around Taiwan, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense held a press conference where Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Hsieh Jih-sheng, provided details. He reported that the PLA deployed 125 combat aircraft, helicopters, and drones, with 90 of them crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait into Taiwan’s response zone—a record for a single day. The drill involved nine training areas, including six surrounding Taiwan and three near the Matsu Islands, Dongyin Island, and Wuqiu Island. On the naval front, 17 Chinese warships were detected, with four positioned southeast of Taiwan’s response zone, and 17 coast guard ships were also observed.

In response, a U.S. State Department spokesperson expressed "serious concern." Stephen M. Young, the former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, attended a conference in Taipei and stated in an interview, "As long as we have good leadership in the United States, we are committed to defending Taiwan. The Chinese (CCP) better be careful, because we can still, excuse my language, kick their ass if they mess with Taiwan."

Professor Ma Zhenkun from Taiwan’s National Defense University, speaking at a seminar on "China's Political, Economic, and Social Development Under Xi Jinping’s Rule" on October 14, noted that this military exercise was a real test of combat capabilities and not just a "fireworks show." One netizen commented that the PLA is wasting public resources and polluting the marine environment, calling their drills with Russia nothing more than "paper tiger" acts that are futile and only provide international amusement.