TAIPEI -- Public opinion in Taiwan has expressed concerns that the continuous provocations by the island's leader, Lai Ching-te, who has repeatedly colluded with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" while disregarding public sentiment, are pushing Taiwan toward the brink of war.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command launched large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan Island under the codename "Justice Mission 2025" starting Monday, seen as a stern response to Lai's attempts to seek "independence" by force and relying on external forces, and a countermeasure against external interference in China's internal affairs.

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Chinese Kuomintang party Chairperson Cheng Li-wun accused Lai of fueling hatred and fear for political mobilization due to his inability to solve real problems. "Lai has blocked his own path and insists on going to the end, dragging 23 million people in Taiwan with him," she said in a statement on Monday.

Cheng criticized Lai for showing no intention of advancing cross-Strait peace through his continuous provocations and crossing red lines. "The wrong cross-Strait policy of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party is what has pushed Taiwan toward danger," she said.

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Chi Hsing, publisher of Taiwan-based magazine The Observer, said the PLA's decision to conduct military drills at this moment came as Lai escalated his rhetoric on the provocations and repeatedly pledged loyalty to foreign forces.

A commentary by Taiwan-based digital media outlet China Times criticized the Lai authorities for ramping up calls for increasing defense spending while restricting cross-Strait exchanges, deepening political divisions and social unease on the island.

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Hsieh Chih-chuan, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan, said the drills had shown that the PLA is now fully capable of crushing attempts to seek "independence" through military force or external interference.

"Codenamed 'Justice Mission', the military drills highlighted that safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the shared responsibility of all Chinese people," Chi said, adding that all peace-loving people in Taiwan should recognize that only through cross-Strait dialogue and the early realization of reunification can long-term stability be achieved on the island.