According to a report from Huanqiu citing Reuters and other foreign media outlets on December 11, Taiwan’s regional leader Lai Ching-te recently disregarded opposition and warnings from mainland China by openly making a “transit” visit to the United States. Under the pretense of visiting South Pacific countries, he traveled to Hawaii and Guam, engaging closely with U.S. officials and politicians. Unsurprisingly, this has sparked strong dissatisfaction from mainland China.
It is reported that as Lai Ching-te headed to Guam, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched a new round of military operations across the Taiwan Strait and along the “First Island Chain.”
A Taiwanese defense official stated that the PLA is currently dispatching a large number of ships and aircraft to coordinate actions aimed at constructing two “walls” in the Pacific. One wall is located to the east of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), while the other is situated within the Pacific, referring to the First Island Chain. According to the official, the PLA’s goal is to seal off the First Island Chain and turn the Taiwan Strait into China’s “inland sea.”
According to reports from Taiwan, approximately 47 PLA military aircraft operated near the island within the past 24 hours. Of these, 26 aircraft came from the coastal areas of Zhejiang and conducted activities in the airspace north of Taipei, six crossed the so-called “median line” of the Taiwan Strait, and 15 entered the southwestern airspace near Taiwan.
At the same time, the PLA is deploying additional naval vessels, including 12 warships and 9 coast guard vessels, to conduct operations near the island. Another Taiwanese “security official” stated that beyond the vicinity of the island, multiple Chinese ships have been observed near southern Japan, the East China Sea, and even the South China Sea near the Philippines. The total number of ships has reportedly reached nearly 90, about two-thirds of which are Chinese naval warships, while the remaining vessels are medium- to large-sized coast guard ships.
In response, Taiwan’s “Ministry of National Defense” claimed that this marks the largest naval fleet deployment by the PLA along the First Island Chain in the past three decades, forcing Taiwan’s maritime forces into a state of alert. Officials from the ministry also asserted that the scale of the PLA’s deployment is larger than previous “Joint Sword” comprehensive military exercises, thus posing a “significant threat” to Taiwan.
However, as of now, the PLA has not initiated large-scale military exercises. A senior official from Taiwan’s defense department stated that while PLA aircraft have conducted simulated drills in nearby waters, including attacks on foreign vessels and the expulsion of civilian aircraft and ships, joint large-scale drills involving both aircraft and ships have yet to begin. This distinguishes the current situation from previous “Joint Sword” exercises.
Since the above information primarily originates from Taiwan authorities, some Chinese analysts believe that Taiwan is exaggerating and hyping the situation out of insecurity.
