Written by Ryan Wu, Ben Blanchard, and Yimu Li
BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – The Chinese government said on Wednesday it was taking “necessary measures” to defend the country's sovereignty and would not tolerate “separatist” activities, while Taiwan reported another increase in the number of Chinese warplanes near the island.
The Chinese army has not yet commented on the military activity and has not confirmed that it is conducting training.
A senior Taiwanese official said they believe the increase in activity is aimed at sending a political message to the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
China, which considers democratically ruled Taiwan to be its territory, was expected to begin maneuvers to express its anger at President Lai Ching-te's Pacific tour that ended on Friday, which included stops in Hawaii and the US island of Guam.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that China is deploying its largest naval fleet in territorial waters in nearly three decades, posing a clearer threat to Taiwan than previous Chinese war games.
However, a US military official said Chinese naval deployments in the East China Sea and South China Sea were high but consistent with other large exercises in the past.
In response to a question at a regular press conference in Beijing about the increased military activities, Zhou Fengelian, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Chinese authorities are “very vigilant about the tendency of Taiwanese separatist forces to collude with external forces.”
“We will absolutely not let things go unchecked. We are taking necessary measures to resolutely defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and safeguard the fundamental interests of our compatriots on both sides,” she added. Stressing that there are ongoing training.
Lai and his government reject Beijing's claims to sovereignty, saying only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it had spotted 53 military aircraft operating around the island in the past 24 hours, as well as 11 naval vessels and eight “official” vessels, referring to ships ostensibly belonging to civilian agencies such as the Coast Guard.
Taiwan's military declared a state of alert on Monday after saying China had maintained its airspace and deployed naval and coast guard vessels.
A senior Taiwanese security official, presenting the government's assessment of China's activities, said at a news conference in Taipei that the Chinese military took nearly 70 days to plan and deploy the current naval operations, and that they were intended for the incoming Trump government and US allies, not for the incoming Trump government and US allies. United. Specifically Lae's visit to the Pacific.
“They are trying to draw a red line and exercise power for the new master of the White House,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said it was “extremely rare” for China to deploy naval operations of this scale at this time of year when maritime conditions are usually harsh.
The Taiwan government believes China's decision not to announce the drills may be due to Beijing trying to minimize the impact on two major events with Taiwanese businessmen and politicians, one of which will be held this week and the other next week, the official added.
“It's a carrot-and-stick approach,” the official said, referring to Beijing's annual offensive programs toward Taiwan, including a visit by a Shanghai vice mayor to Taipei next week.
A security diplomat in the region familiar with the matter told Reuters that the scope and scale of ongoing Chinese operations, including the manpower being sent, was “unheard of” in recent years.
“The intensity was similar to previous operations, but the areas involved were large-scale,” the official said, citing his country’s assessment, declining to reveal his identity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“We haven't seen anything like this in at least the last few years.”
China says the Taiwan issue is its “core core interests” and a red line that the United States should not cross.
China has held two rounds of major war games around Taiwan so far this year.
