Mavericks tame Wolves

May 23, 2024 | 7:41 pm

LUCA DONCIC — JESSE JOHNSON/USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS

Strong headstart in Western finals

TO HEAR Luka Doncic describe it, the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals resembled a relay race.

Kyrie Irving burst out of the starting gate with 24 first-half points to keep Dallas in contention. Mr. Doncic took the baton at halftime and helped the Mavericks earn a 108-105 win with 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

“Amazing,” Mr. Doncic said. “(Kyrie) got us going. Without him, we’d probably be down 20 at halftime, so he got us going. So I had to help him in the second half a little bit.”

Mr. Irving finished with 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting for Dallas. Daniel Gafford (10 points, nine rebounds) and Dereck Lively II (nine points, 11 rebounds) narrowly missed double-doubles.

Jaden McDaniels scored 24 points and made 6 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc to lead the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16.

The Mavericks, who shot 49.4 percent (43 for 87) from the field for the game, outscored Minnesota 26-22 in the fourth quarter to help secure the three-point win.

Mr. Edwards said he and his teammates struggled to maintain their energy level for the full 48 minutes. He acknowledged that the team’s comeback win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 in the conference semifinals on Sunday might have sapped some of their energy.

“Yeah, for sure,” Mr. Edwards said. “You all can see it. We were a step behind everybody, especially myself. Kyrie got a transition layup … and he just outran me. I was just exhausted. So yeah, for sure. But we’ll be alright.”

Dallas went on a 13-0 run to seize a 97-89 lead with 7:38 to go. Mr. Doncic started the run with seven straight points and finished it with a pair of free throws.

Minnesota, which shot just 42.7 percent (38 for 89) from the field, responded with a 10-1 run to grab a 99-98 edge with 4:39 left. Mr. Towns hit a 3-pointer from 28 feet to put the Timberwolves on top.

After a timeout, Mr. Edwards made a 3-pointer to increase Minnesota’s lead to 102-98 with 3:37 to play.

The Mavericks answered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Mr. Doncic and P.J. Washington to go ahead 104-102 with 1:56 left. Mr. Doncic followed with a step-back jump shot to make it 106-102 with 49.2 seconds to go.

Dallas maintained the lead the rest of the way.

The Timberwolves clung to an 83-82 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Mr. Gafford threw down a pair of alley-oop dunks to start the second-half scoring for the Mavericks. Derrick Jones, Jr. followed a couple minutes later with a dunk that put Dallas on top 67-66 for its first lead since the opening quarter.

Minnesota led 62-59 at halftime. Mr. McDaniels had 19 points before the break, which marked a playoff career high for him in any half.

The Timberwolves led by eight in the final minute of the first half, but Irving scored five points in the last 22 seconds to pull Dallas within three.

He finished the scoring by converting a three-point play on a basket and a free throw with 0.7 seconds left.

The teams will reconvene on Friday night for Game 2.

“That’s only one,” Doncic said. “We’ve got three more to go.” — Reuters

Pacers’ game plan: Avoid 0-2 hole

May 23, 2024 | 7:40 pm

THE INDIANA Pacers know where improvement is needed on Thursday when they visit the Boston Celtics for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Pacers committed 22 turnovers in their 133-128 overtime loss in Game 1 on Tuesday, and those miscues led to 32 Boston points. The costliest turnover came with 8.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter while sixth-seeded Indiana was leading 117-114. Pascal Siakam couldn’t handle Andrew Nembhard’s inbounds pass, and he then allowed Jaylen Brown to make a game-tying 3-pointer that forced overtime.

“We had a lot of turnovers that would be hard to explain, but this is the conference finals in the NBA playoffs and these things happen,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “As many turnovers as we had, our guys continued to play, continued to fight and found a way to get a three-point cushion and the ball. So at that point we just gotta finish it off.”

Top-seeded Boston has won Game 1 in each of its three playoff series this year, but it failed to win Game 2 at home against Miami in the opening round and against Cleveland in the conference semifinals.

After Thursday’s game, the best-of-seven series will shift to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4.

Aaron Nesmith (five) and Myles Turner (four) accounted for nine of the 22 giveaways, but Tyrese Haliburton also turned the ball over three times – including twice in key moments. He dribbled the ball off his foot when Indiana led by three with 27.7 seconds left in regulation, then lost the ball out of bounds with 1:02 remaining in overtime.

“I think it’s more on us,” Haliburton said. “They’re a great defensive team. They got great, great defenders — individual and team defenders — but they’re not a team who forces a ton of turnovers. They’re a solid, solid team. I just felt like more of (the turnovers) were probably on us than them forcing them. We got to clean that up, and outside of (Game 1) and one game last series, we’ve really taken care of the ball. So, we’ll fix it in Game 2.”

Top-seeded Boston has won Game 1 in each of its three playoff series this year, but it failed to win Game 2 at home against Miami in the opening round and against Cleveland in the conference semifinals.

After Thursday’s game, the best-of-seven series will shift to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4.

“Come with the mindset of don’t relax,” Boston star Jayson Tatum said. “Different circumstances. The first two rounds we won our Game 1 by a wide margin, so maybe human nature played into that. But (Tuesday) being a close game, going into overtime, we certainly felt like we should have won and we could have played better.”

All of the Celtics’ starters scored at least 15 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Tatum led the way with 36, but Boston also received a season-high 28 points in 48 minutes from 33-year-old Jrue Holiday, who also had eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

Haliburton (25 points) and Siakam (24) were Indiana’s leading scorers. Turner also took advantage of Kristaps Porzingis’ absence by tossing in 23 points.

Porzingis, Boston’s starting center, has missed the past seven games with a calf strain. ESPN reported that he could return for Game 4 of the conference finals.

“He’s working hard every single day to make as fast of a recovery as he can,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “He’s there for everything and it can’t go underestimated how hard he works, trying to come back in a timely fashion.”

Paalam not saying goodbye just yet

May 23, 2024 | 7:39 pm

CARLO PAALAM knows he’s at a point of no return.

So when the 25-year-old Tokyo Games silver medalist from the Philippines plunges into action today (May 24) in the World Qualification Tournament to the Paris Olympics, expect him not to pull any punches.

The second and last Olympic qualifying tournament is taking place in Bangkok.

Mr. Paalam will spearhead a small but determined team consisting of Rogen Ladon, Hergie Bacyadan and Criztian Pitt Laurente, eyeing a place in the quadrennial event slated July 27 to Aug. 10 in the French capital.

Filipino boxers who have secured Paris berths are Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.

The four-man national contingent will just be a speck of the whopping 630 boxers who are desperately vying for 51 remaining Olympic quota places — 23 for women and 28 for men — that will be up for grabs for 13 weight divisions – six women and seven men.

All are aware that this will be the last doorway to the Olympics, which should make it a little tougher considering that practically everybody should be giving it their all for one last shot at glory.

Paalam will compete in the men’s 57-kilogram class despite a nagging shoulder injury that he sustained in the critical rounds of the first qualification tilt in Busto Arsizio, Italy last March.

He would need to make it to at least the top three in his weight class to make the Paris cut.

Otherwise, it will be goodbye for Paalam.

Ladon, a veteran of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Bacyadan will vie in the men’s 51kg and the women’s 75kg where four berths each are at stake.

And so is Laurente, who could punch his ticket by just making the semis in the men’s 63.5kg.

It would be nice for the country that all four end up qualifying and completing Philippine boxing’s “Magnificent Seven” in Paris. — Joey Villar

Rain or Shine coach ain’t throwing white towel

May 23, 2024 | 7:38 pm

Games Today
(MOA Arena)
4:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Meralco (Meralco leads series, 2-1)
7:30 p.m. — San Miguel vs Rain or Shine (SMB leads series, 3-0)

IF THE San Miguel Beermen (SMB) could have their way, it’s time to send Rain or Shine (ROS) to the gallows.

But knowing coach Yeng Guiao and his gritty crew, there’s no way the Elasto Painters are capitulating.

“At 0-3, all you can think about is trying to get one win and avoid a sweep,” Mr. Guiao said ahead of their life-or-death Game 4 assignment in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals tonight at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. “That’s the only thing you want to focus on at this point.”

The Beermen got on the cusp of a sweep of the best-of-seven series with a 117-107 road victory Wednesday in Dasmariñas City. “Nasasayangan lang kami rito with this opportunity. This could have been our best chance to win against San Miguel. We could’ve been back in the race,” rued Mr. Guiao.

History is on SMB’s side. Per PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, 16 of the previous 17 teams with a 3-0 edge in a race-to-four went on to win, including eight via sweep.

To become the latest to achieve this, the Beermen must be at their sharpest and most aggressive.

“We really have to bring the energy and we really have to step on the gas, especially doon sa Game 4, because I’m sure Rain or Shine will come out smoking,” said San Miguel mentor Jorge Gallent. “We just have to match that and do what we’ve been doing. Then I think we’re going to be okay.”

The protagonists enter the 7:30 p.m. match with the post-Game 3 rift between Mr. Guiao and SMB guard Terrence Romeo still fresh. Feeling disrespected, Mr. Guiao lashed out at Mr. Romeo after the latter fired a converted triple in the dying seconds.

“Basic respect,” said Guiao. “Wala naman tayong quotient sa semis, eh. Hindi naman bagong player si Terrence. Alam niya iyon.”

Meanwhile, Meralco seeks to make it three in a row against Ginebra at 4:30 p.m. and move a win away from the finals.

After dropping the opener, the Bolts got back at the Gin Kings, 103-91 and 87-80, to take the upperhand.

“We can’t have a letdown. We know that they’re capable but we’re capable too,” said Meralco tactician Luigi Trillo.

Ginebra’s Tim Cone blasted the squad’s “terrible” Game 3.

“We didn’t deserve it, they did. They outshot us, outplayed us, outcoached us very definitely. We got to change things up, we can’t play the same way.” — Olmin Leyba

Djokovic celebrates 37^th birthday with victory

May 23, 2024 | 7:38 pm

NOVAK DJOKOVIC celebrated his 37^th birthday with a 6-3 6-3 win over German Yannick Hanfmann on Wednesday in the second round of the Geneva Open.

The world number one, who accepted a late wildcard to compete at the ATP 250 tournament this week after a less than ideal run-up to next week’s French Open, was stopped in his tracks by rain as he attempted to serve out the first set.

The Serb returned to court following the hour-long break to claim the first set with two aces in a row.

But showing that he was still unable to shake off his recent struggles, Mr. Djokovic, who saved seven break points during the opening set, dropped serve early in the second to trail 3-0.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion eventually recovered to reel off six games in a row to seal his 1,100^th tour-level match win.

The Serb is only the third man to achieve this milestone behind Jimmy Connors’ 1,274 wins and Roger Federer’s 1,251.

“The key to win was the birthday, it probably wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t win,” said Mr. Djokovic after organizers gave him a birthday cake.

“It’s nice to be here in this tournament for the first time, with my family,” he added.

here coming to support. I’m getting some quality time on and off the court.

“Grateful to all the people that came today and thank you for singing happy birthday that really touched me.”

Djokovic requested the Geneva wildcard after he was hammered in Rome in the last 32 by little-known journeyman Alejandro Tabilo two days after a freak accident in which he was hit on the head by a fan’s water bottle while signing autographs. — Reuters

Stage set for IRONMAN races at Subic

May 23, 2024 | 7:37 pm

THE IRONMAN Group is gearing up for an unprecedented turnout for the fourth Century Tuna IRONMAN (IM) Philippines and the 11^th IM 70.3 Subic Bay, which fires off on June 9 at Subic Bay Boardwalk with the premier endurance races expected to draw athletes from around the globe.

In addition to the main events, the 5km Century Tuna Super Bods Underpants Run will also take place on June 7, while Choco Hero IRONKIDS triathlon will be held on June 8.

Also on tap are the age-group categories, featuring individual and relay events, along with the novel team tents competition.

Greg Banzon, executive vice president and COO of Century Pacific, emphasized the pivotal role Century Tuna has played in the Philippine triathlon scene, saying the company has supported events from small sprint races to the prestigious IRONMAN Philippines for over a decade.

He also highlighted the rise of Filipino athletes, such as SEA Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas, as a testament to the company’s commitment to youth development in triathlon.

Through their support, Century Tuna has fostered a generation of athletes excelling in the sport.

Forty-four countries will compete in the upcoming endurance race, with Japan, France and the United States leading the charge with 54, 18 and 16 entries, respectively. Meanwhile, Singapore and Vietnam will each field 10 participants and the host country has entered 147 competitors three weeks into the staging of the blue-ribbon event.

Carlo Endaya, vice president and general manager for the Domestic Tuna Business of Century Pacific, also underscored the broader impact of their support for triathlon events, stressing these promote health and fitness within the community, making triathlon accessible to a wider audience.

He added that the company’s involvement goes beyond the elite athletes, promoting a culture of health and fitness that reaches people of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging more individuals to embrace the sport and its benefits.

Registration for both events is ongoing. For details, visit www.ironman.com/im-philippines-register.

Participants in the IM 70.3 will face a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run (70.3) challenge, while the full IRONMAN will test the athletes’ limits with a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km marathon.

Princess Galura, regional director of the organizing IRONMAN Group Philippines, acknowledged Subic as the country’s triathlon capital, citing its long history of hosting various triathlon events, including 5150s, sprints and full-distance IM races.

The IM 70.3 and full IM are part of the IRONMAN Group’s 2023-24 Season Pass and Flex 90 programs.

LeBron offers advice to Caitlin

May 23, 2024 | 7:36 pm

LEBRON JAMES knows a thing or two about having great expectations thrust upon him before he even entered a professional basketball league.

With that in mind, the Los Angeles Lakers star offered some advice to Caitlin Clark as the latter navigates her way through the early stages of her WNBA career.

“My advice to Caitlin, and my advice to anyone that comes in with this level of notoriety, out-of-this-world expectation, whatever the case may be: Be a horse, man,” Mr. James said on the Mind the Game podcast. “… Put your blinders on, go to work, show up to work, punch your clock in, prepare yourself, work on your game, work on your craft.

“Kind of keep your mouth shut and just learn from the vets. When they ask, voice your opinion if they want your opinion early because everybody is looking for you to say anything and they’re gonna splice it and cut it and make it a negative thing.

“The one thing I love that she’s bringing to her sport: More people want to watch. More people want to tune in. … Don’t get it twisted, don’t get it (messed) up. Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things is gonna happen for the WNBA. … I’m rooting for Caitlin because I’ve been in that seat before. I’ve walked that road before. I hope she kills.”

Clark, 22, has experienced somewhat of a learning curve since guiding Iowa to back-to-back NCAA title game appearances and becoming NCAA’s all-time Division I scoring leader. From there, she was selected by Indiana with the top overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.

She recorded team-leading averages in points per game (17.0), assists (5.5) as well as turnovers (6.5) for the Fever, who have limped out to an 0-4 start.

As for James, he entered the NBA with the top overall pick of the 2003 draft. The 39-year-old is a four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP, 20-time All-Star and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. — Reuters

Schumacher family compensated

May 23, 2024 | 7:36 pm

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER’s family has secured 200,000 euros ($216,360) compensation from the publishers of a German magazine that printed an AI-generated ‘interview’ with the seven-time Formula One world champion.

A family spokeswoman on Wednesday confirmed a Munich Labour Court judgement and settlement by Funke media group, publishers of the magazine Die Aktuelle, without making any further comment.

The magazine’s editor was sacked last year, with Funke apologizing to Schumacher’s family.

Ferrari great Mr. Schumacher, now 55, has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in a skiing accident on a family holiday in the French Alps in December 2013 as the family maintains strict privacy.

Die Aktuelle ran a front cover in April 2023 with a picture of a smiling Mr. Schumacher and the headline promising ‘Michael Schumacher, the first interview.’

The strapline added: “it sounded deceptively real” but inside the ‘quotes’ were revealed to have been generated by artificial intelligence. — Reuters

$75,000 fine for NASCAR punch

May 23, 2024 | 7:35 pm

RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. was fined $75,000 by NASCAR on Wednesday for punching fellow driver Kyle Busch after the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Richard Stenhouse, the driver’s father, was suspended indefinitely for violations of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. NASCAR also issued an eight-race suspension to JTG Daugherty Racing team mechanic Clint Myrick and a four-race ban for tuner Keith Matthews for their roles, however Mr. Busch was not penalized for his actions.

“I think it’s fair to say that when you have crew members and family members that put their hands on our drivers, we’re going to react,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer said Wednesday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There’s not a lot of detail I’m going to get into due to the fact that these are appealable penalties, and I want to make sure that we’re fair to that process.

“With that being said, and we’ve been consistent about this, when crew members and family members get involved, we are going to react. That’s exactly what we did.”

Stenhouse and Busch got involved Sunday on the first lap and then the latter appeared to attempt to deliberately wreck the former on the second. Stenhouse took issue by parking his damaged Chevrolet in Busch’s pit stall and waiting for the driver to finish his race.

After a brief discussion, Stenhouse landed a right hook on the side of Busch’s face before other team members got involved. Stenhouse’s father also went after Busch.

“When you wait 198 laps and you make those decisions that were made, again, we’re going to react to that,” Sawyer said. “…Once we get to the point where it gets physical, we want the two drivers to be able to have time to express their differences. Once it escalates to a physical altercation, we are going to react. — Reuters

Under pressure

May 23, 2024 | 7:34 pm

The Pacers looked headed for a shocking triumph at the TD Garden in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals — until, that is, they figured out a way to lose. For much of the match, they seemed all too ready to take the measure of the heavily favored hosts. They even managed to overcome double-digit deficits twice by running at every opportunity, just as they had throughout the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs. For all the energy their grueling seven-game slugfest against the Knicks sapped out of them, they showed a predilection for going on overdrive at every turn.

Indeed, the Pacers’ refusal to compromise regardless of the score gave them the advantage heading into the final half minute of regulation. Armed with a three-point lead and in possession of the ball following a missed trey attempt by the Celtics, they could then have milked the clock until it was absolutely necessary to take a shot. As things turned out, their refusal to compromise regardless of the score likewise handicapped them. For some reason, top dog Tyrese Haliburton saw fit to push the ball up the court despite the absence of pressure; his pace led to an unforced turnover. And when they gained possession anew still up three with 10 ticks left in the fourth period, fellow starting guard Andrew Nembhard insisted on inbounding the ball under pressure. The ultimate fallout of the bad pass was nothing short of a downer: a loss in overtime.

Considering that a handful of plays does not a final score make, it’s fair to contend that the Pacers simply succumbed to the superior Celtics only too prepared to capitalize on opportunities in the clutch. That said, there can be no discounting the gravity of their foibles. Why didn’t they call timeout to advance the ball instead of allowing Nembhard to force the issue? Why didn’t they foul in the ensuing sequence to prevent any kind of attempt to tie the score? Even though two charities with not inconsiderable pressure would have been in the offing, and even assuming both were made, they would still have had the lead.

Needless to say, the Pacers were left to ruminate on their miscues in the aftermath of the heartbreaker. Center Myles Turner, who made an exceptional accounting of himself on both ends of the floor from opening top to final buzzer, noted that it was the first time he felt them display their relative youth. Of course, the flipside is that the type of confidence intertwined with their age will allow them to bounce back quickly. When they trek to hostile territory anew today, they will be all the better for the lessons they hitherto learned. In short, Game Two is another chance to prove themselves worthy of the moment. Whether or not they actually do is up to them.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

SM Cares, PLDT, and Smart join hands to promote responsible e-waste disposal

May 23, 2024 | 5:30 pm

Image-(24)-OL — SM Supermalls, PLDT and Smart launched the joint initiative last April 22, just in time for SM’s Earth Day 2024 celebrations, making the annual observance more meaningful. Shown in the photo are (from L-R) PLDT Home Marketing National Key Accounts Partnership Head Anne Leonardo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice-President and Head of Sales and Development John Palanca, PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice-President and Head of Consumer Wireless Business Alex Caeg, SM Supermalls Senior Vice-President and Head for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls Vice-President for Corporate Compliance Group Engr. Liza Silerio, and SM Supermalls Vice-President for Sponsorship and Cyberzone Patrick Raymund Pacla.

To strengthen its efforts in promoting the responsible disposal of electronic waste, SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, recently tapped PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), two of the leading telecommunications providers in the country, for a strategic partnership that will expand SM’s Electronic Waste Collection (EWC) Program and drive further positive change in electronic waste management in the country. The partnership was launched to the public last April 22, 2024.

In a short message, Joaquin L. San Agustin, SVP of SM Supermalls for Marketing, underscored the need for the responsible disposal of electronic waste to help minimize its impact on human health and the environment. He also thanked PLDT and Smart for partnering with SM for the initiative. “Through this partnership, our goal is to promote and expand the reach of the E-Waste Collection Program, leveraging our combined expertise and resources to drive positive change in electronic waste management in the country,” he added.

SM Supermalls Senior Vice-President and Head for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin

“Recognizing the importance of sustainability and responsible consumption, our brands, PLDT Home and Smart, have been actively promoting e-waste collection and recycling as part of their sales, marketing, retail operations, and customer engagement activities. We are thus grateful to have found a like-minded partner in SM, as this joint initiative significantly expands our reach and makes e-waste collection and circularity solutions even more accessible and convenient to our customers and the general public,” said Melissa V. Vergel de Dios, Chief Sustainability Officer at PLDT and Smart.

PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios

To reinforce the initiative’s sustainability messaging, SM, PLDT, and Smart unveiled new designs for the bins that will be used to collect the e-waste, which are made from 8,400 pieces of used beverage cartons. Shown above are the new bin designs, taken during the launch of the partnership. The e-waste bins will be available at SM Malls nationwide, particularly in Cyberzone areas.

Launched in 2021, the Electronic Waste Collection (EWC) Program encourages tenant and customer participation in the responsible disposal of electronic waste or e-waste which is considered hazardous, while also promoting decluttering in households and bringing to light conscious consumerism.

1 of 2

Since 2021, a total of 11,600 kg of e-waste has been collected through the program, diverted from ending up in landfills and causing harm to humans and the environment to the designated facilities where they are disposed of responsibly.

This partnership between SM Supermalls, PLDT and Smart is the latest initiative under SM Supermalls’ solid waste management program, which is also in line with SM Cares’ Programs on Environment.

Aside from this, SM Cares spearheads initiatives that promote sustainability and the development of the community, including programs on Persons with Disabilities, Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Senior Citizens, and Children and Youth, as well as the Bike-Friendly SM initiative.

To learn more about programs building a greener future, including SM Prime’s commitment to incorporating these sustainability initiatives into its future developments, visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.

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China launches ‘punishment’ war games around Taiwan

May 23, 2024 | 5:22 pm

China-Taiwan-flags — A NAVY miniature is seen in front of displayed Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration taken April 11, 2023. — REUTERS

BEIJING/TAIPEI — A furious China launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending up heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated President Lai Ching-te.

The exercises, in the Taiwan Strait and around groups of Taiwan-controlled islands that sit next to the Chinese coast, come just three days after Mr. Lai took office, a man Beijing detests as a “separatist.”

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has denounced Mr. Lai’s inauguration speech on Monday, in which he called on China to stop its threats and said the two sides of the strait were “not subordinate to each other.”

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Mr. Lai “disgraceful”.

Mr. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it had started joint military drills, involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force, in areas around Taiwan at 7:45 a.m. (2345 GMT).

The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait, the north, south and east of Taiwan, as well as areas around the Taiwan-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, the command said in a statement.

Chinese state media said China sent out dozens of fighter jets carrying live missiles, and conducted mock strikes, along with warships, of high-value military targets.

The drills, dubbed “Joint Sword – 2024A”, are scheduled to last for two days. However, unlike a similar “Joint Sword” exercise in April last year, these drills are tagged “A,” opening the door to potential follow-ups.

Taiwan’s defense ministry condemned the drills, saying that it had dispatched forces to areas around the island, that its air defenses and land-based missile forces were tracking targets, and that it was confident it could protect its territory.

“The launch of military exercises on this occasion not only does not contribute to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, it also highlights (China’s) militaristic mentality,” the ministry said.

Taiwan’s presidential office expressed regret that China was threatening the island’s democratic freedoms and regional peace and stability with its “unilateral military provocations” but said people could rest assured Taiwan could ensure its security.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV said Mr. Lai’s inauguration speech was “extremely harmful” and China’s countermeasures are “legitimate, legal and necessary.”

Mr. Lai’s speech was a confession of a desire for Taiwan independence and undermined peace and stability across the strait, it said.

Taiwan’s future can only be decided by China’s 1.4 billion people, not just Taiwan’s 23 million people, it added.

NO SURPRISE
A senior Taiwan official, speaking anonymously given the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that the drills are part of a scenario Taiwan had anticipated and that the island’s government had a “comprehensive grasp” of Chinese military movements.

Taiwanese officials had said in the run-up to the inauguration they were keeping watch for Chinese military movements. China last staged large-scale war games near Taiwan in 2023 and 2022.

The drills focus on joint sea-air combat-readiness patrols, precision strikes on key targets, and integrated operations inside and outside the island chain to test the “joint real combat capabilities” of the forces, China’s military said.

“This is also a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces,” the command added.

Chinese state media published a map of the drill zones, in five areas all around Taiwan and the islands Taiwan controls near the Chinese coast. Taiwanese officials told Reuters those areas were outside Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles from the main island’s coast.

One of the officials said China has not announced any no-fly zones, nor has Taiwan observed any large-scale movements of China’s ground and rocket forces.

Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at Taiwan’s top military think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that although the drills would only last two days, the scope is large relative to previous exercises, as they included Taiwan’s outlying islands.

This is designed to demonstrate China’s ability to control the seas and prevent the involvement of foreign forces, he said.

“The political signals here are greater than the military ones,” he added.

There was no sign of alarm in Taiwan, where people are long used to Chinese military activity.

“The drills will have a short-term psychological impact, but won’t reverse the long-term upward trend of Taiwan stocks,” said Mega International Investment Services vice president Alex Huang.

A central bank official told Reuters the foreign exchange market was operating as normal, with no abnormal entry or exit of foreign capital.

In August 2022, China launched live-fire military exercises around Taiwan immediately after a visit, much condemned by Beijing, by former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi. That series of exercises, the scale of which was unprecedented, lasted for four days, followed by several days of additional drills. — Reuters