Taipei [Taiwan], December 11 : In a bold display of military might, China has deployed approximately 90 naval and coast guard vessels in waters stretching from islands in the south of Japan to the South China Sea, this massive deployment is the largest in nearly three decades, VOA reported citing Taiwan defence officials.
Further, the Taiwan officials stated that this move 'appears to be a military exercise.'
However, China has not yet commented on the movements or confirmed it is conducting exercises, as per VOA.
While addressing the regular press briefing on Tuesday, Taiwanese defence officials said "Beijing's operation is not only targeting Taipei but aimed at demonstrating its ability to prevent regional countries, including Japan and the Philippines, from coming to the island's defence."
"The current scale is the largest compared to the previous four [Chinese war games]," Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang stated.
In addition to honing its capabilities to deny access to a broad swath around the island, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said China is also forming two "walls" in the western Pacific, deploying large numbers of vessels to the eastern end of Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone and an area further out in the Pacific.
"With these two walls, they are sending a clear message: The Taiwan Strait is their internal waters, and cross-strait issues should be handled by the People's Liberation Army [PLA] and the People's Republic of China," Taiwanese defense official Hsieh told journalists.
Taiwan has been preparing for a potential Chinese military exercise around the island since President Lai Ching-te set off on his first overseas trip to the Pacific region, which included stopovers in the U.S. territory of Guam and state of Hawaii, on November 30.
Notably, China claims that Taiwan belongs to it, and has not ruled out using force to make Taiwan a part of China. However, the people of Taiwan strongly oppose becoming part of authoritarian China. There is very little support in Taiwan for unification with China.
In recent days, Taiwan's defence ministry said it has detected 21 Chinese vessels and 47 Chinese military aircraft operating in the immediate vicinity of the island.
In response to the PLA's activities, the MND initiated war-preparedness drills at strategic locations across the island and is closely coordinating with the Coast Guard Administration to implement appropriate countermeasures.
The Taiwan-China issue is a complex and longstanding geopolitical conflict centred on Taiwan's sovereignty. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), operates its own government, military, and economy, functioning as a de facto independent state.
However, China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the "One China" policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital.
This has fuelled decades of tension, especially since the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), when the ROC government retreated to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China.
Beijing has consistently expressed its goal of reunification with Taiwan, using diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally. Meanwhile, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence.
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