China conducted military exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, involving its largest concentration of naval vessels in nearly a year.
The operations, described by Chinese authorities as joint drills across multiple service branches, took place as tensions remain high over Beijing’s posture in the Taiwan Strait.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement that the exercises were launched “from multiple directions” and involved army, naval, air, and rocket forces. The drills were intended to demonstrate what the PLA calls “joint combat readiness” in key maritime zones.
The Ministry of National Defense in Taipei reported the presence of 19 Chinese ships in waters near the island. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not confirm vessel counts but acknowledged a multi-branch exercise spanning both conventional forces and maritime law enforcement.
According to a release from the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, the Fujian Coast Guard “organized its vessel formations to conduct comprehensive law-enforcement patrols in waters surrounding Dongyin and Wuqiu islands.” The coast guard drills included procedures for “identification and verification, inspection and capture, and control and expulsion operations against unwarranted vessels.” The statement said these actions were intended to test the rapid response and emergency handling capabilities of the coast guard.
The latest exercises follow recent statements from U.S. officials reaffirming Washington’s commitment to deter military pressure on Taiwan.
Although Beijing has framed the drills as routine and defensive in nature, the scale and composition of Tuesday’s operations reflect continued Chinese efforts to rehearse complex, multi-domain operations near Taiwan. The PLA has increased the frequency and scope of its training activities since 2022, citing the need to defend what it refers to as its “territorial integrity.”
Taiwan’s military remains on alert, and officials in Taipei continue to monitor Chinese movements in the air and maritime domains.