Spike in Chinese Naval Activity Targeting Not Only Taiwan, Says Defense Ministry

Taiwan’s defense ministry says a spike in Chinese naval and coast guard activity is not only aimed at Taiwan but also other countries in the region.

Transcript

00:00Taiwan's defense ministry says China has deployed its largest navy fleet in the region in three

00:05decades, posing a greater threat to Taiwan than previous Chinese drills around the country.

00:11It comes amid a spike in Chinese military activity in the area as Beijing seeks to expand

00:16its Indo-Pacific presence.

00:18Our reporter Jaime Okon has been following this developing story and joins us live in

00:22Taipei.

00:23Jaime, what are you hearing from the defense ministry?

00:29Well first off, the ministry has not labeled this record increase in Chinese military activity

00:34as an exercise and that's because China hasn't given an official announcement.

00:39Why China hasn't said anything or any announcement is still a big question that we don't know

00:42the answer to.

00:43But according to Taiwan, these military movements started on Monday when China announced seven

00:49reserve zones in eastern Zhejiang and Fujian province.

00:53Those military movements should go on until Wednesday.

00:55Now this morning, Taiwan's defense ministry reported 47 Chinese military aircraft in the

01:01region as well as 21 naval and official ships.

01:05These are vessels like China's Coast Guard also operating in the region.

01:09Taiwan's military also added that China has deployed its biggest fleet in almost three

01:13decades within the first island chain.

01:16This spans from southern Japan all the way down to, it wraps around Vietnam.

01:20And that's one of the main reasons why Taiwan's intelligence officials told us at a press

01:24conference that these suspected drills aren't just limited to Taiwan but are also affecting

01:29other countries in the region.

01:54Now earlier this year, Taiwan, excuse me, China conducted its largest military exercises

02:06called Joint Sword A and Joint Sword B. Both of those exercises simulated a partial blockade

02:12of the country.

02:13And some military officials here in Taiwan are a bit concerned that given the frequency

02:16and how big these exercises are, that one day one of these drills could turn into a

02:21real life military operation.

02:24And so for now, Taiwan's military is conducting its own exercises to test its reaction speed.

02:29And what that looks like is deploying its own warships, its own fighter jets and air

02:33defense systems to see if it can get its units into position quickly in the event of a potential

02:38conflict.