TAIPEI: Dozens of Chinese warplanes and 10 navy ships were detected around Taiwan, Taipei authorities said on Thursday after warning that Beijing was conducting air and sea drills in the Western Pacific.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and relations have soured since Taiwan鈥檚 independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, with Beijing ratcheting up military and political pressure on the island.
Taiwan鈥檚 defense ministry said in a statement that 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected near the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.
Taipei had already said some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to 鈥渃onduct joint sea and air training鈥� with China鈥檚 Shandong aircraft carrier.
The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.
Japan鈥檚 defense ministry also said Wednesday its navy had detected six ships 鈥� including frigates, destroyers, one fast combat support ship and the Shandong 鈥� sailing through waters some 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Miyakojima island, east of Taiwan.
It also confirmed that jets and helicopters had been detected taking off and landing from the Shandong.
Taipei warned this week that China was stepping up 鈥済rey zone鈥� activities around the island, accusing Beijing of seeking to raise regional tensions and pressure the territory while avoiding all-out conflict.
China鈥檚 military 鈥渉as been tasked to develop capabilities to take over Taiwan,鈥� one expert said.
鈥淭hose military exercises are aimed at developing and practicing those capabilities,鈥� Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at Washington DC鈥檚 German Marshall Fund.
鈥淲e should expect its trend to continue, with growing pressure on Taiwan.鈥�
China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.
However, its Eastern Theatre Command, which organizes drills around Taiwan, said Wednesday an 鈥渁viation unit鈥� had carried out training 鈥渞ecently鈥� in a range of 鈥渢housands of kilometers.鈥�
It did not mention Taiwan.
China said last week its troops were 鈥渙n constant high alert鈥� after two ships belonging to the United States and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
The US Navy said the ships were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and HMCS Ottawa, and that the transit 鈥渄emonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific,鈥� another term for the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States and Western allies have increased 鈥渇reedom of navigation鈥� crossings of both the Taiwan Strait and the disputed South China Sea to reinforce that both are international waterways, angering Beijing.
China conducted military exercises in April to simulate the encirclement of Taiwan after Tsai met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
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