TAIPEI: China's military carried out live-fire exercises off Taiwan's southwest coast on Wednesday, a move that Taipei denounced as a direct threat to regional stability.
The drills, which involved both warships and fighter jets, took place in close proximity to Taiwan’s territory without prior notice, prompting strong condemnation from the island's defense ministry.
According to Taiwan’s military, 32 Chinese aircraft participated in a joint combat readiness operation alongside naval forces in the Taiwan Strait, with some maneuvers occurring just 40 nautical miles (74 km) off the coast. Taiwan’s defense officials described this as a dangerous provocation that jeopardizes international air traffic and maritime safety.
Despite Taiwan’s protests, there was no immediate confirmation from China regarding the drills, and Beijing’s defense ministry did not issue a statement. However, China has repeatedly asserted its claim over Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification.
In a related development, senior Chinese official Wang Huning, a high-ranking leader in the ruling Communist Party, reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to bringing Taiwan under its control. Speaking at a conference on Taiwan affairs, Wang stressed the importance of maintaining dominance in cross-strait relations and advancing the goal of national reunification.
Tensions between Taiwan and China have also escalated over the recent severing of an undersea communications cable near Taiwan’s southwestern coast. Taiwan detained a Chinese-linked cargo ship flagged under Togo, suspecting its involvement in the incident. Chinese authorities dismissed the allegations, accusing Taiwan of politicizing the matter before a full investigation was completed.
Taiwanese security agencies had already been monitoring the detained vessel, the Hong Tai 58, along with 51 other China-linked ships suspected of posing a threat to undersea infrastructure. The recent incident marks the fifth case of cable disruptions near Taiwan this year, with similarities being drawn to damage inflicted on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
