TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that include an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled island democracy against seeking formal independence.
The joint exercises involve navy, air ground and rocket forces and are meant to be a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence,” according to Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command. No operational name for the drills was announced nor previous notice given.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de-facto independence and democratic status. Any conflict could bring in the U.S., which maintains a series of alliances in the region and is legally bound to treat threats to Taiwan as a matter of “grave concern.”
Taiwan’s Presidential Office posted on X that “China’s blatant military provocations not only threaten peace in the #Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the entire region, as evidenced by drills near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Philippines & the SCS. We strongly condemn China’s escalatory behavior.”
The SCS refers to the South China Sea, the strategic waterway that China claims almost in its entirety. China’s navy also recently held drills near Australia and New Zealand for which it gave no warning, forcing the last-minute rerouting of commercial flights.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. It added that the Shandong aircraft carrier group had entered into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Monday, a self-defined area tracked by the military.
As China’s stance toward Taiwan has become more belligerent, the communist giant is ramping up diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the region. The South China Morning Post reported this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning a multinational tour of Southeast Asia later this spring as part an effort to strengthen ties between Beijing and neighboring countries.
Mr. Xi is expected to travel to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia sometime in mid-April. The tour will mark the first international stops for the Chinese president this year and is Mr. Xi’s first visit to Southeast Asia in years.
Notably, Mr. Xi is expected to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while visiting the country. The April meeting, expected to last three days, follows Malaysian Prime Minister Ibrahim’s visit to Beijing last November, which Chinese officials said was productive.
Trade between Malaysia and China has increased dramatically over the past decade, with the country quickly becoming one of Beijing’s largest trade partners.
However, Vietnam still holds the top spot, accounting for 26.5% of all trade within Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries. China is also assisting Cambodia in its massive infrastructure effort through its Belt and Road initiative.
The tour follows anxiety concerning how U.S. foreign policy could shake the region. President Trump has positioned himself as a staunch China opponent, imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese goods back in February. The tariffs doubled to 20% in early March.
Beijing has already issued reciprocal tariffs, handing down a 15% tariff on select U.S. farm goods. Earlier this week, Chinese state media reported that China, Japan and South Korea would jointly retaliate to U.S. tariffs, a claim both Korean and Japanese leaders denied.
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