The Shandong aircraft carrier task group of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) exercises helped play the role of cutting off “three lines” of “Taiwan independence” forces, namely their energy import life line, their external military aid support line, and their own escape line, an expert told the Global Times, after the PLA Eastern Theater Command announced the carrier group’s exercises to simulate strike on ground and maritime targets in areas to the east of Taiwan island on Wednesday.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command on Wednesday employed Shandong aircraft carrier task group, in coordination with naval and air units, in conducting military drills in areas to the east of Taiwan island, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command in a statement.

The exercises included subjects of vessel-aircraft coordination, seizure of area air superiority and strike on ground and maritime targets so as to evaluate the troops’ capabilities of integrated operations inside and outside the island chain, multi-dimensional blockade and control, and joint operations of multiple services, Shi said.

Zhang Chi, a professor at the National Defense University, told Global Times on Wednesday that during the drills, the Shandong carrier task group quickly maneuvered to the east side of the island of Taiwan, displaying the PLA’s increasingly powerful capabilities in rapid response, precision strike and systematic coordination. The large strategic platform’s deep integration into the joint operation system fully displayed the PLA’s powerful capabilities.

Zhang noted that PLA carrier groups have routinely sailed beyond the island chain for exercises in recent years, many of them in areas to the east of Taiwan island. From the positioning of PLA aircraft carriers in these drills, they took key choke points and formed a solid maritime barrier, creating a situation to block external forces from interfering and suppress and block “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces inside.

For a long time, Taiwan authorities see the east of Taiwan island as a so-called base to preserve combat forces and a comfortable zone, for example, the island’s air force’s largest underground hangar Chiashan Air Force Base is located on the east side of the island, Zhang said, noting that the presence of the Shandong aircraft carrier task group to the east of Taiwan island helps play the role of cutting off “three lines” of “Taiwan independence” forces, namely their energy import life line, their external aid support line, and their own escape line.

“Taiwan independence” secessionist forces long have an illusion that the Chinese mainland will not really launch an attack, and that there would be external forces to help them. A series of drills, especially the military deterrence operations participated by aircraft carrier task groups, sent a clear signal to “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces, that large-scale, highly intensive and diverse operations can completely cut off their escape routes and external support routes, Zhang said. “There is only a dead end that awaits the ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces, and China will be surely reunified,” he said.