China is reportedly maintaining a constant military presence around Taiwan, with four warships strategically deployed in various directions.
These actions, as reported by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday, citing official sources, have brought to attention the security situation around Taiwan, which remains in flux.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that the People's Liberations Army's 33 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, out of which 13 aircraft crossed the median line.
On January 24, the USS John Finn transited through the Taiwan Strait, which the U.S. Navy described as its "commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations,"
The median line is the artificial line that separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland, Beijing's aircraft have increasingly crossed the median line over the last two years.
According to the report, China's four warships are in critical locations around Taiwan and its neighboring territories. One warship is stationed near Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the westernmost tip of Japan, while another is positioned between Yonaguni Island and the Philippines, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Additionally, one warship is located in the waters southwest of Taiwan and another in the north of the island. Furthermore, one ship is permanently deployed to the northwest of the Senkaku Islands, which are the subject of territorial disputes between Japan and China.
The deployment of these warships carries significant implications for the security of Taiwan and the surrounding region. Yoji Koda, a former commander of the Self-Defense Fleet, emphasized the need for Japan to remain vigilant, stating, "If Japan is left with an opening, there is a strong possibility that China will use force to intervene in the Senkaku Islands in the future. Japan must be fully prepared."
The situation is particularly concerning around the Senkaku Islands, which are enclosed on three sides by Chinese warships. China asserts its territorial claims over these islands, viewing them as an integral part of Taiwan.
Experts have raised the possibility that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could lead to an incident involving the Senkaku Islands, further complicating the already tense situation in the region.
In August 2022, China conducted a significant military exercise, launching ballistic missiles in all directions around Taiwan. These missiles landed near the Senkaku Islands and within Japan's exclusive economic zone south of Yonaguni Island, Newsweek previously reported. Such actions have only added to the growing concerns regarding China's military presence and intentions in the East China Sea.
Speaking at the Pacific Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 26, Admiral John C. Aquilino expressed apprehension about China's coercive pressure campaign against Taiwan, especially in the wake of recent elections.
"The coercive pressure campaign against Taiwan continues, and we're watching it in the wake of the elections. I'm not sure what they're going to do, but I expect some demonstration of force against Taiwan in the near term," Aquilino said.
Recent incidents have seen China's naval activities escalate. A report from Newsweek on December 12, 2023, indicated that the Chinese People's Liberation Army sailed an aircraft carrier southward through the Taiwan Strait, sparking concerns about regional tensions. Taiwan's Defense Ministry closely monitored these movements and expressed its readiness to respond as necessary.
The situation has further intensified with the reported incursions of balloons into Taiwan's airspace. An animated map compiled by Newsweek highlighted the paths of 58 such balloons crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line since December 7, 2023. Nearly half of these balloons had violated Taiwan's territorial airspace, including some flying over the island.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
