HSINCHU: Taiwan’s military was on high alert on Monday after detecting Chinese warships near the island, Taipei said, as it prepared for likely drills by Beijing in response to President Lai Ching-te’s US visits.

The Taiwanese defence ministry said it also spotted Chinese coast guard vessels and that Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had restricted the airspace off the Chinese coast.

There has been intense speculation about the possibility of China launching military exercises in response to Lai’s trip to the Pacific last week which included stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.

“In response to these actions by the PLA, the MND has initiated combat readiness drills, factoring in enemy threats, weather conditions, and tactical positioning,” the Ministry of National Defence in Taipei said in a statement.

It added that military units were on “high” alert and those on outlying islands had “heightened their vigilance”. The ministry said its forces had “identified PLA Eastern, Northern, and Southern Theater Command naval formations, along with Coast Guard vessels, entering areas around the Taiwan Strait and the Western Pacific”. There was no immediate public announcement by the PLA or Chinese state media about increased military activity around Taiwan. However, a Beijing foreign ministry spokeswoman said China would “firmly defend” its sovereignty, as Taiwan kicked off its drills.

Lai spoke with Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson in Guam on Thursday — the highest-level US contact the Taiwanese leader had during a week-long trip — which drew a barrage of criticism from Beijing.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024