Taiwan reports huge Chinese military exercise involving almost 90 ships

With planes and ships

Taiwan reports huge Chinese military exercise

Almost 90 ships and dozens of aircraft: China is to hold one of the largest military exercises to date around Taiwan. Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province.

According to information from Taiwan, China is currently holding one of the largest military exercises to date around the island. “Almost 90” ships from the Chinese navy and coast guard are in the waters along the so-called first island chain, which connects the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines. A senior Taiwanese security official told the AFP news agency on Tuesday.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also reported sightings of 47 Chinese aircraft in 24 hours – the largest single-day number since a massive Chinese military exercise following Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s National Day address in mid-October.

The number of Chinese ships in the waters is far greater than during a 2022 Chinese exercise, according to Defense Department spokesman Sun Li-fang, following a visit to Taipei by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland – if necessary with military force. Beijing has increased its military activities around Taiwan in recent years. In just over two years, China has held four large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, including those in response to Pelosi’s visit and two since Lai took office in May.

In China, neither the People’s Liberation Army nor state media initially reported increased military activity in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea.

However, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said on Monday that China would “firmly defend” its sovereignty after Taiwan’s military was put on high alert in the face of Chinese exercises.