China says Taiwan drills ‘routine’, as Taipei details surge in military activity

On Thursday, China’s defense ministry stated that the exercises which concerned Taiwan near its coastline were “routine,” urging the island to cease its complaints, as Taipei noted an increase in Chinese military operations, though no live-fire drills took place.

Democratically governed Taiwan, regarded by China as its territory, announced on Wednesday that the Chinese military established a zone for “shooting” exercises in the southwestern section of the Taiwan Strait, near the important regions of Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Taiwan denounced the action as risky, provocative, and a danger to commercial air and sea traffic, stating that it received no advance warning.

During a routine news conference in Beijing, Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Defence Ministry, stated that Taiwan was attempting to garner attention.

In its daily morning briefing on Chinese military activities over the last 24 hours, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported the detection of 45 Chinese military planes and 14 naval vessels operating near the island. They positioned seven vessels in the drill area announced by China, located 40 nautical miles from Taiwan. In a related map, the ministry displayed the drill zone’s site, which it claimed spanned 70 nautical miles in length and 20 nautical miles in width, although it remained far beyond Taiwan’s territorial waters.

Taiwan reported no live-fire activity in China’s “drill zone,” and military tensions did not escalate further; however, two high-ranking officials from Taiwan informed Reuters on the condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the circumstances. They stated that the Chinese action closely resembled its other recent military engagements in the area, like in the South China Sea and near Australia’s coast, where its navy failed to provide sufficient warning of drills.