China Mobilises Warships from Yellow Sea to South China Sea, Taiwan Issues Grave Warning

Taiwan issued a grave alert on Friday, revealing that China has mobilized a substantial fleet of warships for expansive "military operations" spanning hundreds of kilometers from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, a deployment that authorities described as a profound threat to regional stability and the broader Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Beijing, which maintains an unyielding claim over self-governing Taiwan as an inalienable part of its sovereign territory, offered no confirmation or denial of the reported maneuvers, maintaining a veil of strategic ambiguity that has heightened tensions across the strait. Taiwan's Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo emphasized that defense ministry and security agencies possess a "complete grasp of the situation," with monitoring operations underway to track the fleet's movements, though official details on the precise number of vessels remain classified.

The operations extend far beyond the confines of the Taiwan Strait, encompassing the southern Yellow Sea, the East China Sea proximate to the contested Diaoyu Islands—also known as the Senkaku Islands—and reaching into the disputed South China Sea and the Western Pacific, an area where Beijing asserts expansive territorial claims. Kuo underscored the implications, stating unequivocally, "This indeed poses a threat and impact on the Indo-Pacific and the entire region," while urging China to exercise restraint and expressing Taiwan's confidence in managing the escalation effectively.

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In response to inquiries about a potential Chinese naval flotilla approaching Australian waters, China's defense ministry spokesman Jiang Bin asserted that all high-seas naval training adheres strictly to international law and targets no specific nation or objective, a position echoed by the foreign ministry which decried "overreaction or groundless hype" from "relevant parties." This comes amid Taiwan's intelligence assessments identifying October through December as the "peak season" for Beijing's annual military evaluations, with warnings from intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen that routine activities could swiftly evolve into targeted drills against the island.

The current surge, reportedly involving over 90 vessels at its zenith—surpassing last December's large-scale exercises that simulated blockades and attacks—coincides with strained Sino-Japanese relations following Tokyo's declarations of potential military involvement in a Taiwan contingency, as well as Taiwan's recent announcement of a US$40 billion defense spending increase. As the United States, Taiwan's paramount security guarantor, signals expectations for Japan and South Korea to shoulder greater regional defense responsibilities under the Trump administration, the unfolding naval display underscores Beijing's unyielding posture and the precarious balance of power in East Asia.

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