Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence reported tracking 19 Chinese navy vessels in waters surrounding the island in a 24-hour period, from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, amid escalating military tensions.
On Tuesday, the Chinese military launched large-scale drills around Taiwan, with a warning to the self-ruled island against seeking independence. The exercises, which involve navy, air ground, and rocket forces, were described by Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command, as a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence.”
This military action follows remarks from Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-Te, who referred to Beijing as a “foreign hostile force” last month. In the wake of the announcement, the Chinese military also released a series of propaganda videos, featuring Chinese warships and fighter jets near Taiwan. One video titled “Shell” depicted Lai as a cartoon bug giving rise to parasites, with the message: “Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing Island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence further revealed it had been monitoring the movement of the Shandong aircraft carrier since Saturday, noting that the carrier group had entered Taiwan’s self-defined identification zone.
Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo commented, “I want to say these actions amply reflect its destruction of regional peace and stability.” Koo added that Taiwan has established a central response group to closely monitor the ongoing exercises.
In addition to the military drills, China’s Coast Guard also announced a “law enforcement patrol” around Taiwan on Tuesday, as confirmed by spokesperson Zhu Anqin.
