By Maggie Johnson,
December 12, 2024
China has launched its largest regional maritime deployment in decades, Taiwan's Defense Ministry revealed, as heightened Chinese military activity is observed in the Taiwan Strait and Western Pacific. This development follows Taiwan's anticipation of military drills sparked by President Lai Ching-te's unofficial visits to Hawaii and Guam earlier this month, moves that provoked Beijing's ire.
On Monday, Taiwan reported the presence of multiple Chinese naval and coast guard vessels in regional waters near the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has neither announced military exercises nor commented on the deployments, but Taiwan considers the scale and intensity unprecedented. China's Communist Party continues to assert territorial claims over Taiwan, despite never governing the island, and has not ruled out using force to achieve unification. Any informal interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan are viewed by Beijing as a violation of its sovereignty, a claim firmly rejected by Taipei.
Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-Sheng of Taiwan's Defense Ministry described the deployment as “astonishing,” suggesting it could block external forces from intervening. He noted that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval activities extended beyond Taiwan into waters past the first island chain. This vital geographic boundary, encompassing Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, has long been central to U.S. influence in the Pacific. Hsieh underscored the PLA’s heightened military pressure on Taiwan and its broader objectives in the Western Pacific, emphasizing the strategic implications of these activities beyond the first island chain.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry warned that China’s ability to obstruct external forces from crossing the first island chain could pose an existential threat in the event of an invasion, potentially isolating the island from international assistance. This deployment represents the largest maritime maneuver since China began large-scale war games around Taiwan in the mid-1990s. Taiwan also reported a significant rise in PLA aircraft activity, with 47 jets detected near the island in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday morning.
Authorities disclosed that China designated seven reserved airspace zones near its Zhejiang and Fujian coastal provinces. While no live-fire exercises have been observed, these zones, located north and northwest of Taiwan, signal a broader scope to China’s military maneuvers. CNN has reached out to China’s Defense Ministry for comment.
The escalation comes in the wake of Lai's South Pacific tour, during which he made his first U.S. stops as president. His visits, aimed at reinforcing solidarity with democratic allies, drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which labeled him a “separatist.” The trip coincided with the U.S. approving new arms sales to Taiwan, prompting China to vow “strong countermeasures.”
Beijing has increasingly turned to military drills to express dissatisfaction over U.S.-Taiwan relations. In May, shortly after Lai’s inauguration, China launched large-scale drills around Taiwan in response to what it termed “separatist acts.” Similar exercises followed in October after Lai declared Taiwan "not subordinate" to China. However, Taiwan officials note the current military movements differ in scale and reach, marking a significant shift in Beijing's strategy.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated that Taiwan is an internal affair and emphasized China’s resolve to defend its national sovereignty.
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