Taiwan warns of escalating Chinese military drills in Taiwan Strait.

According to information published by Liberty Times Net September 30, 2024, the Chinese military has been conducting increasingly frequent exercises around Taiwan, with military aircraft and naval vessels regularly intruding near the island.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Taiwanese Tuo Chiang-class corvette Tuo Chiang. (Picture source: Taiwanese Ministry of Defense)

In a recent report from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, officials warn that China aims to "internalize" the Taiwan Strait by combining military actions with law enforcement operations, such as deploying Chinese coast guard vessels to patrol Taiwan's eastern waters.

The report outlines four key tactics China has employed to pressure Taiwan. These include joint readiness patrols, gray zone tactics, large-scale targeted military drills, and coordinated training operations.

Among these tactics, joint readiness patrols have been a recurring feature, with Chinese forces conducting combined air and naval operations three to four times a month. These actions, according to the Ministry of Defense, are intended to intensify the military threat against Taiwan.

Following an incident in the waters near Kinmen and Xiamen earlier this year, Chinese coast guard patrols have also increased in the areas surrounding Taiwan's outlying islands, such as Kinmen and Matsu. Notably, during large-scale military drills held on May 23-24, China organized coast guard patrols in Taiwan’s eastern waters under the guise of law enforcement, furthering its goal of asserting control over the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese defense officials also foresee the integration of China's new "Coast Guard Law," which authorizes the use of force by Chinese coast guard units during maritime operations. They predict that China will increasingly resort to a combination of legal, cognitive, and gray zone warfare tactics to harass Taiwan.

The report also highlights recent activities involving China's aircraft carrier Shandong, which completed its 36th training mission from June 22 to July 23, traversing the South China Sea and Western Pacific. The Shandong was accompanied by various warplanes, including the H-6K bomber, conducting joint training across the island chains stretching to Taiwan’s southwest and the Western Pacific. These activities are part of China’s effort to demonstrate its capabilities in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies through planned joint training.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has concluded that China is testing its ability to both invade Taiwan and counter potential foreign intervention by combining conventional and unconventional tactics. In response, Taiwan's military remains on high alert, employing intelligence and surveillance systems to monitor Chinese military movements.