A senior Taiwanese security official said on Wednesday that China occasionally conducts simulated attacks on foreign naval ships in the Taiwan Strait, while Taiwan provides intelligence to its international partners when they operate in the area.
U.S. warships sail through the strait every few months, provoking Beijing, and some U.S. allies, such as Britain and Canada, have also made occasional transits. A New Zealand navy ship went through the strait last month.
Eight Navies Make A Dozen Trips This Year
Tsai Ming-yen, director-general of the Taiwan National Security Bureau said eight countries’ navies, including those of Britain, France, New Zealand and the United States, have made 12 trips through the strait so far this year.
China’s basic principle is to “shadow every ship” during such missions, sending its own naval forces, he said in parliaments, responding to questions from lawmakers.
Taiwan has an extensive and sophisticated radar and surveillance network monitoring the narrow strait.
Intelligence Sharing
Tsai said Taiwan and its “international partners” share intelligence, including information on Chinese military activities, while foreign navy ships are in the strait.
“As a result, when our international friends enter the waters around the Taiwan Strait, they can generally grasp the typical modes of Chinese communists’ activity.”
He added that one foreign navy in the strait this year was that of Vietnam, a southeast Asian country with close ties to Beijing.
Busy Season For China’s Drills
China’s military operates near Taiwan almost daily, in what Taipei views as harassment to pressure its government and forces. China’s last named war game around Taiwan in April was called “Strait Thunder-2025”.
In December last year, Taiwan reported a surge in Chinese air force and navy activity around the island and in regional waters, though China never officially confirmed its drills.
Asked about further Chinese exercises before the end of the year, Tsai said the months from October to December were typically a busy season for China’s drills, and Taipei was keeping watch to see if any turned into Taiwan-specific war games.
China has four naval groups in the Western Pacific at the moment, he added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
