China’s unannounced live-fire drill near Taiwan threatens regional security and maritime safety

China has set up a live-fire training area just 40 nautical miles (75 kilometres) from Taiwan’s port city of Kaohsiung without prior notice, raising concerns over regional security and the safety of air and sea traffic, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported, citing Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence.

The ministry stated that Beijing “outrightly breached international standards by unilaterally designating” the training zone. It strongly condemned the action, adding that it had “quickly deployed naval, air, and ground forces to monitor the situation and take necessary actions” after detecting it through “temporary radio communication” with nearby forces, according to RFA.

Usually, coastal nations issue warnings to ships and aircraft before conducting military exercises to avoid accidents, the report noted. It added, “This action poses a significant danger to the navigational safety of international flights and vessels, and is a direct provocation to regional security and stability.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence also reported that in the 24 hours leading up to Wednesday morning, 32 Chinese military aircraft and ships were detected near Taiwan. Of these, 22 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as an unofficial boundary between Taiwan and mainland China, according to RFA.

Additionally, on Tuesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard detained a Chinese-flagged civilian vessel suspected of cutting an undersea communications cable off Taiwan’s coast. The Taiwanese government stated that it could not rule out the possibility that the Togo-registered tanker was part of Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics, RFA reported.

The report further stated that Chinese vessels had left the designated live-fire drill area near Kaohsiung. Taiwan’s defence ministry said its forces “will persist in monitoring the changes in the adjacent sea and airspace, and will deploy suitable forces to remain alert and ready to respond.”

On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the exercise near Taiwan. According to RFA, China has been conducting live-fire drills across the region over the past week.