Taiwan sends its military after China launches 'live-fire' drill near island

Taiwan's military has taken responsive measures against China's "live-fire" drills in the sea areas surrounding Taiwan. The Ministry of National Defense in Taipei confirmed the action and condemned China's exercises as dangerous. The Ministry of National Defense stated in a statement that China deployed 32 aircraft near Taiwan for joint combat readiness patrols and announced "live-fire drills" in an area approximately 74 kilometers south of Taiwan.

Taiwan's military has dispatched naval, air, and land forces to "monitor, stay alert, and respond appropriately." The Ministry of National Defense stated that the People's Liberation Army of China "blatantly violated international norms by unilaterally designating an exercise zone 40 nautical miles off the coasts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, claiming to conduct live-fire exercises without prior warning."

The Ministry of National Defense further stated: "This action not only poses a high risk to the safety of international flights and maritime vessels but also constitutes a blatant provocation to regional security and stability." Taiwan has naval and air force bases in Kaohsiung and Pingtung. In recent years, China has increased its deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan to emphasize its claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, a claim rejected by Taipei.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense stated that China's actions are "completely contrary to its repeated claims of 'peaceful coexistence'" and vowed to "continue to work hard to strengthen its defense capabilities and combat readiness." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, in response to questions about Taiwan, said that China has set up "shooting training" exercise areas and stated that "this is not a diplomatic issue." China's Ministry of National Defense has not immediately responded to Agence France-Presse's request for comment.

The Ministry of National Defense in Taipei stated that China's actions in the region, including live-fire exercises near Australia and Vietnam, "prove that China is the sole and largest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region." Furthermore, the exercises come after Taiwan seized a Chinese crewed cargo ship on Tuesday suspected of severing undersea telecommunications cables connecting Taiwan to the Penghu Islands. There are concerns that this incident is the latest in a series of "gray zone" measures by China aimed at putting pressure on Taiwan.

Taiwan is increasingly concerned about the security of its cables, after a Chinese-owned cargo ship allegedly severed a cable northeast of Taiwan earlier this year. The Chinese Communist Party has never ruled democratic Taiwan, but Beijing has threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan fears that China may cut its communication lines as part of an attempt to occupy or blockade Taiwan. Taiwan is also a potential flashpoint for war between China and the United States, Taiwan's most important supporter and largest arms supplier.

Despite strong bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress, there are concerns that then-President Donald Trump might not have considered defending Taiwan worthwhile if China attacked. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has vowed to increase investment in the United States to reduce trade imbalances and increase spending on Taiwan's military, while his government is also considering increasing imports of U.S. natural gas. Beijing views Lai Ching-te as a "separatist" and has held several rounds of major military exercises since he took office last May. The dispute between Beijing and Taipei dates back to the civil war between Mao Zedong's communist forces and Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist forces, which fled to Taiwan after their defeat in 1949.