Taiwan reported the detection of 16 Chinese warships in the waters surrounding the island on Thursday, marking one of the highest numbers recorded this year.
This development is part of a broader pattern of increased military pressure from Beijing on Taipei. Alongside the naval presence, 34 Chinese aircraft were also spotted near Taiwan within the 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am on Thursday, as per the daily tally released by Taiwan's defense ministry.
The heightened military activity comes amidst China's largest maritime drills in years, which have been conducted from the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea.
According to Taiwanese authorities, approximately 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels have participated in these exercises, which include simulating attacks on foreign ships and practicing blockading sea routes. A security official from Taiwan noted that these drills are significantly larger than those conducted in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, which were previously the largest ever around Taiwan.
Despite the scale of these operations, there has been no official announcement from Beijing's army or Chinese state media regarding increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, or Western Pacific Ocean.
However, a recent Pacific tour by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, which included two stops in US territory, has drawn ire from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. The security official indicated that China began planning this massive maritime operation in October, aiming to demonstrate its capability to choke off Taiwan and establish a "red line" ahead of the next US administration.
Taiwan's foreign ministry has labeled China's increased military activity as evidence of Beijing being a "troublemaker." In contrast, China's foreign ministry has neither confirmed nor denied the occurrence of these drills, instead directing blame at Taiwan.
James Char, an expert on China's military at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, suggested that Beijing's silence serves as a demonstration of its claim over the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters and airspace, making it unnecessary to announce the drills to the world. He added, "This is another means by the mainland to force its position upon others," though he did not rule out the possibility of Chinese confirmation at a later date.
The de facto US embassy in Taiwan expressed concern over the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) activities near the island and in the region. While Beijing had not announced major drills in response to President Lai's trip, the American Institute in Taiwan noted that Chinese military activity was "elevated," consistent with levels observed during other large exercises.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. In recent years, Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan and opposes any international recognition of self-ruled Taiwan, particularly concerning official contact between Taipei and Washington. Last week, President Lai spoke with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, in addition to his two recent stopovers on US soil.
The defense ministry's tally of Chinese warships on Thursday was the highest since May 25, when 27 navy vessels were detected during Chinese military drills held shortly after Lai's inauguration. Vietnam-based maritime security analyst Duan Dang reported that aviation data showed airspace zones reserved by the PLA off the Chinese coast until Wednesday had "fully returned to normal."
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