China Launches Large-Scale Air and Sea Drills Near Taiwan
China Launches Large-Scale Air and Sea Drills Near Taiwan, Citing U.S. and Taiwanese Provocations
China deployed an unusually high number of military ships, planes, and drones near Taiwan between Sunday and Monday, escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry.
The ministry reported that 43 of the 59 detected Chinese assets breached Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, though no direct confrontations occurred. Taiwan responded by mobilizing aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile defenses to monitor the situation.
Beijing framed the drills as a reaction to recent statements from the U.S. and Taiwanese leadership. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated Monday, “The drills were a resolute response to foreign connivance and support to Taiwan independence, and a serious warning to Taiwan separatist forces.”
She emphasized their legality, saying, “China’s military actions are necessary, legal and justified measures to defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.” Mao pointed to a U.S. State Department website revision—removing explicit support for the one-China principle—as sending “wrong signals” to separatists, a move China views as emboldening Taiwan.
Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te further stoked Beijing’s ire last week, declaring mainland China a “foreign hostile force” under Taiwan law and unveiling stricter measures to counter Chinese influence in media and civic exchanges. Lai also highlighted risks of espionage by influential figures and ex-military personnel, amplifying cross-strait friction.
China’s near-daily operations aim to exhaust Taiwan’s defenses and erode morale, yet most of the island’s 23 million residents reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims and its threats of force. The Taiwan Strait, a vital global trade artery, remains open to civilian shipping, though China frequently protests U.S. and allied naval presence there. Saturday saw Beijing rebuke a G7 statement accusing it of “provocative” maritime actions, with China calling it “filled with arrogance, prejudice and malicious intentions.”
The drills’ scale—larger than typical daily incursions—remains unexplained, with fluctuations often tied to U.S.-Taiwan rhetoric. Facing this growing threat, Taiwan has bolstered its arsenal with U.S.-supplied missiles and aircraft while advancing its domestic defense industry, including submarine development.
