Taiwan revealed record number of Chinese vessels in area of island. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported a record number of 16 Chinese warships in waters around the island within a 24-hour period late last week.
Analysts interpret this as a continued intimidation campaign by China’s ruling Communist Party against Taipei.
The activity of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) occurred after earlier exercises where numerous Chinese warplanes flew past the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered key regions of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Within a 72-hour period last week, 73 PLA aircraft either crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line or entered the island’s ADIZ. Concurrently, nine PLA vessels were spotted in waters around Taiwan for three consecutive days.
This recent development of 16 Chinese ships near Taiwan marks the highest number since the Defense Ministry began providing daily updates of PLA activity in August 2022.
Analysts perceive these military operations as two-fold. Firstly, the constant PLA activities aim to present Taiwan’s defenders with various potential attack routes, enabling them to design defenses accordingly.
Secondly, these activities serve as practice and training for a potential moment of invasion by China.
China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has sought to isolate it diplomatically for decades. Beijing has not ruled out using force to assert control over the island.
Chinese state media highlighted the naval activity, noting that the PLAN broke records for the number of vessels deployed in the region. The exercises were seen as demonstrations of the PLA’s capabilities in encircling Taiwan.
While specific details regarding the PLA warships in the area were not disclosed by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry or Chinese state-run media, it is likely that the exercises involved amphibious landing training.
Analysts predict that China will continue to escalate pressure on Taiwan, with expectations of larger and more complex exercises involving increased units and extensive activities next year.
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