Taiwan criticizes China for coastal shooting exercises

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated as Taiwan denounced China’s recent military maneuvers. The complaint arose following China’s designation of an area near Taiwan’s southwest coast for shooting drills.

China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway territory destined for reunification—potentially by force—has in recent years escalated military operations in the region, encompassing both Taiwan’s maritime and aerial domains.

“China is the predominant disruptor of regional tranquility and the sole considerable menace to peace in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific area,” announced Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry in its recent pronouncement.

Within a 24-hour timeframe, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported the detection of 45 military aircraft, 14 navy vessels, and one auxiliary ship from China actively maneuvering around Taiwan, with 34 of these intruding its sovereign waters and airspace. Taiwan acknowledged taking responsive measures without further detailing the actions.

This incident follows the earlier breach by four Chinese coast guard boats, which infiltrated Taiwanese waters near Kinmen island earlier this week. In response, Taiwan deployed its own vessels to repel them.

Meanwhile, China’s state media outlet reported that during an annual Taiwan-focused session, senior Chinese official Wang Huning advocated for China to proactively shape cross-strait interactions and advance the “reunification of the motherland.”

Additionally, Taiwan reported apprehending a Chinese-owned ship involved in damaging an undersea communication cable, detaining the vessel thereafter. In contrast, Beijing has accused Taiwan of overstating the situation before confirming the facts proper, accusing it of “political manipulation.”