Chinese Naval Activity Around Taiwan: Chinese naval activity continues around Taiwan after combat readiness drills
Taiwan’s ministry of national defence (MND) on Sunday said it detected six Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels operating around the island over the previous 24 hours, as Beijing continued its regular military activity near Taiwan.In a post on X, the MND said, “6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded.”The ministry added that no Chinese military aircraft were detected during the period, saying, “No flight path illustration is provided, as we did not detect PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan during this timeframe.”The latest activity follows similar Chinese military movements recorded in recent days.On Saturday, Taiwan’s defence ministry detected one sortie of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and seven PLAN vessels around the island.A day earlier, it reported two PLA aircraft sorties and six PLAN vessels, adding that both aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Military activity continues after Taiwan’s combat readiness drills
The latest naval deployment comes days after Taiwan concluded its five-day “Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise”, aimed at testing the military’s ability to rapidly respond to a surprise Chinese attack.The drills were conducted against the backdrop of China’s newest aircraft carrier, Fujian, transiting the Taiwan Strait on June 24.Taiwan defence minister Wellington Koo said the exercise was designed to improve the military’s ability to transition quickly from peacetime to wartime readiness, noting that the warning time before any potential Chinese attack was shrinking.China criticised the drills, with its Taiwan Affairs Office claiming they reflected the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s “malicious intent to seek independence by force”.
Taiwan strengthens defence amid rising tensions
Taiwan has continued to bolster its defence capabilities as China increases military pressure around the self-governed island. According to news agency ANI, Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine recently departed from the Port of Kaohsiung for its latest sea trials, including submerged navigation tests, marking its 15th sea trial overall.The military activity comes amid Beijing’s continued claim that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, while Taiwan maintains a separate government, military and economy.China has stepped up naval and aerial operations around the island in recent years and has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.Earlier this week, Taiwan’s recent combat readiness exercises focused on responding to China’s “grey-zone” tactics, including repeated naval patrols and aircraft incursions that stop short of open conflict but increase military pressure on the island.
