The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have described the increased activity of China’s coast guard east of Taiwan as an alarming development. At the same time, Taipei says the time available for early response in the event of a potential Chinese attack is becoming increasingly limited.
According to Reuters, on June 24, the representatives of the three European countries said in a joint statement that China’s new maritime activity poses a threat to regional stability and freedom of navigation.
The European statement followed accusations from Taiwan that Chinese coast guard vessels had been stopping commercial ships east of the island, requesting information about their routes and destinations, and asserting jurisdictional claims over those waters. Taipei views these actions as part of “gray zone” pressure.
Beijing says that its coast guard activities are lawful. According to China, the patrols are linked to talks between Japan and the Philippines on maritime boundary issues, which Beijing views as a step against its own interests.
Against this backdrop, Taiwan has launched five days of military drills. According to the Associated Press, the exercises aim to test how quickly Taiwan’s military can shift from peacetime operations to combat readiness if China’s regular military activity suddenly turns into a real attack.
Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the time available to identify a possible Chinese attack in advance is shrinking. According to him, this is why it is necessary to practically test the military’s ability to mobilize quickly and respond immediately.
