TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has sent a large number of naval and coast guard ships into East Asian waters, at one point deploying over 100 vessels, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Reuters noted that this is the largest maritime show of force to date. The activity is taking place during China’s traditional peak season for military exercises, though the PLA has not announced any large-scale drills.
The increase comes amid a diplomatic standoff with Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said last month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) last month announced an additional NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) in defense spending to counter China’s growing threat. Four regional security officials said Chinese vessels have massed across a broad stretch of waters, from the southern Yellow Sea, through the East China Sea, down into the disputed South China Sea, and out into the Pacific.
As of Thursday morning, over 90 Chinese vessels remained active in the region, down from a peak of more than 100 earlier in the week. The officials said the operation’s scale surpasses China’s major naval deployment last December.
National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said Wednesday that four Chinese naval formations were operating in the western Pacific and that Taiwan was monitoring them.
Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said Taiwan maintains full and real-time situational awareness of security conditions in the Taiwan Strait and the broader region, ensuring “no concerns for national security.” She added that Taiwan will continue coordinating closely with international partners to deter any unilateral actions that could undermine regional stability.
One official, speaking anonymously, said Beijing began sending an unusually large number of ships after Nov. 14, when it called in Japan’s ambassador to protest Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. “This goes far beyond China’s defense needs and introduces risks for all sides,” the official said, adding that Beijing is using the “unprecedented” deployment to test other countries’ responses.
