Taiwan's Defense Ministry says a large Chinese military force has been detected near island
China’s secretive military appears to be up to something around Taiwan, but it’s unclear whether it’s a formal military drill
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China's secretive military appears to be up to something around Taiwan, but it's unclear whether it's a formal military drill.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it has detected a dozen Chinese naval ships and 47 military planes in the past 24 hours but no live-fire activity as in previous military exercises. The deployment covers a wider area this time, with additional ships going beyond Taiwan into other parts of the Pacific, defense officials said at a news conference.
Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng said China’s navy is creating two walls — one at Taiwan's perimeter and another outside the first island chain, which extends south from Japan and through Taiwan to the Philippines. “The message they are sending is very simple: The Taiwan Strait is ours,” he said, referring to the waters between Taiwan and China.
The military has been bracing for possible drills by China in response to a recent overseas trip by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te that included Hawaii and Guam, an American territory.
