Following unannounced live-fire exercises by China a mere 40 nautical miles from Taiwan’s coast, Taiwan deployed its navy, land forces, and air force on Wednesday.
Taiwan asserts it was only notified of the drills after they had commenced, when Taiwanese ships received warnings to avoid the area, which is situated off the coast of Kaohsiung. Taiwanese authorities have accused China of “blatantly violating international norms” by unilaterally establishing the exercise zone.
The defense ministry stated, “This action not only presents a significant hazard to the safety of international air and sea traffic but also constitutes a clear provocation against regional security and stability.”
Taiwan reported detecting 32 Chinese military aircraft conducting joint exercises with warships as part of the drill. Chinese officials have yet to respond to Taiwan’s grievances.
The drills surrounding Taiwan are the most recent instance of Chinese aggression this month. The Chinese military has also conducted live-fire exercises off the coast of Vietnam and between New Zealand and Australia, necessitating the rerouting of commercial flights between the two nations.
Wednesday’s exercise occurred shortly after Wang Huning, a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official, advocated for increased efforts toward “reunification.” China has long held the position that Taiwan is a breakaway province that belongs to Beijing.
According to a translation by Chinese state media, Huning stated that China must “firmly seize the right to dominate and take the initiative in cross-strait relations and steadfastly advance the cause of the motherland’s reunification.”
In recent years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated repeatedly his willingness to use force to seize Taiwan.
China’s drills occurred one day after Taiwan’s coast guard (CGA) of a Togolese-registered vessel suspected of severing an undersea fiber optic cable connecting Taiwan and Penghu on Tuesday.
The CGA reports that the vessel, the Hong Tai 168, had been lingering within approximately 925 meters of the cable since 7 p.m. local time on Feb. 22. On Tuesday at 2:30 a.m., a coast guard vessel was dispatched to the ship, ordering it to leave the area, according to Taiwan’s state-owned media.
Coast guard officials confirmed that the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 undersea cable had been cut at 3 a.m. Tuesday, and they initiated efforts to apprehend the ship’s Chinese crew. All eight crew members were according to the coast guard.
Taiwan separated from mainland China in 1949 when pro-democracy forces retreated to the island after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Chinese Communist Party.
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