In the same month as the U.S. announced a $11.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan, Chinese vessels are encircling Taiwan, with a planned force deployment that is comparable in scope with the October 2024 deployment following pro-independence President of Taiwan William Lai’s National Day speech, and the earlier May 2024 deployment following his inauguration speech.
They are a “punitive and deterrent action against separatist forces” declared China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Anyone who tries to arm Taiwan to contain China will only embolden the separatists and push the Taiwan Strait closer to the peril of armed conflict.”
Taiwan’s Central News Agency produced an image of the PLA activity, indicating that the current exercise includes areas within what Taiwan considers to be its territorial waters, as did the exercises in 2022 following U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
As of 3 p.m. on Dec. 30, Taiwan reported it had detected 14 PLA naval vessels, 14 coast guard vessels, 4 amphibious assault ships, and 89 military aircraft operating around the island. Of those aircraft, 67 crossed the median line. Taiwan reports that it deployed 14 of its own coast guard vessels to force PLA vessels outside Taiwan’s contiguous waters.
The operation is scheduled to continue on Dec. 31.
