Taiwan is reporting one of the largest Chinese naval deployments near its waters in recent months, with nearly 90 vessels and reserved airspace zones near the island sparking fresh concerns about regional security and military posturing. The seven airspace zones are near its Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, which Taiwan said could signal upcoming military exercises.
Taiwan is on high alert after China deploys naval fleets and coastguard vessels for military exercises across a broad swath of region's waters pic.twitter.com/oNyxBUMnjB
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) December 9, 2024
These zones will remain active until Wednesday, Dec. 11, though China has not announced specific tests or drills.
Taiwan described these moves as “unilateral provocations” intended to intimidate the region. Officials said Chinese aircraft and balloons have also been spotted over the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan’s military initiated combat readiness exercises and is closely monitoring the situation.
Chinese state media suggest the maneuvers follow Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent trip to Guam and Hawaii. Beijing opposes any official interactions between Taiwan and the United States, calling such engagements an infringement on its sovereignty.
China continues to view Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to assert control. Taipei accuses Beijing of using “grey-zone tactics,” such as frequent military patrols, to pressure the island without escalating to direct conflict.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to sailors aboard the USS George Washington in Japan on Monday, Dec. 9, the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier.
Austin downplayed the possibility of an imminent attack on Taiwan but emphasized China’s intent and growing capability to challenge international norms.
“There’s a lot of speculation about when Mr. Xi will decide to do one thing or another,” Austin said. ” would just say from my vantage point at this point in time, I don’t think, you know, an attack is either imminent or unavoidable. So, again, our goal is to make sure that we continue to work with like-minded partners and allies to ensure that we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. And we’ve been pretty successful at that thus far.”
