The Chinese military conducted large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that included an aircraft carrie
r battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled democracy against seeking formal independence.
The exercises involved navy, air ground and rocket forces and were meant to
be a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence,” ac
cording to Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Th
eater Command. No operational name for the drills was announced nor previous notice given.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control b
y force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and
democratic status. Any conflict could bring in the U.S., which maintains alliances in the region and is legally bound to treat threats to Taiwan as a matter of “grave concern.”
Taiwan’s Presidential Office posted on X that “China’s blatant military provocation
s not only threaten peace in the #Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the entire region, as evidenced by drills near Australia, New Zeal
and, Japan, Korea, the Philippines & the SCS. We strongly condemn China’s escalatory behavior.”
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The SCS refers to the South China Sea, the strategic and disputed waterway that China claims almost in its entirety. China’s navy als
o recently held drills near Australia and New Zealand for which it gave no warning, forcing the last-minute rerouting of commercial flights.
Taiwan Tracks Chinese Vessels
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels around the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. It added that t
he Shandong aircraft carrier group had entered into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, a self-defined area tracked by the military.
Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a daily basis, andin recent years it has stepped up the scope
and scale of these exercises. Taiwanese officials have recently warned that China could launch a sneak attack under the guise of military exercises.
“I want to say these actions amply reflect (China’s) destruction of regional peace and stability,” said Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo.
Taiwan has set up a central response group to monitor the latest exercises, Koo said.
On the streets of Taipei, people said the atmosphere was tense but they were more concerned about the economy and develop
ments surrounding the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The Chinese Communists spend so much time and effort on these things but most people don’t pay much attention,” said Lin Hui-tsung, a noodle seller in the Tiananmu district.
China’s Xinhua News Agency said the Eastern Theater Command conducted “multi-subject drills in waters to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island.”
