By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard
TAIPEI, Dec 4 (Reuters) – China has sent a significant number of naval and coast guard ships to East Asian waters, sometimes exceeding 100 vessels. This marks the largest show of military strength seen so far, according to four sources and intelligence reports that Reuters has examined.
Currently, China is in a period typically known for military exercises, although the People’s Liberation Army has not announced any major drills with official titles.
The increase in naval activity occurs against a backdrop of rising tensions between China and Japan. Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that a potential attack by China on Taiwan might lead to a military response from Japan.
Additionally, Beijing has expressed frustration over an announcement by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te regarding an extra $40 billion allocated for defense to counter China's actions, as China regards Taiwan as its territory.
Reports indicate that Chinese ships are concentrated in waters from the southern Yellow Sea, through the East China Sea, into the contested South China Sea, and stretching into the Pacific Ocean, according to four regional security officials.
These observations were backed by intelligence reports from a nearby country, which discussed the deployment. Reuters has reviewed these reports but will not disclose the country’s name.
As of Thursday morning, there were over 90 Chinese ships in the area, down from more than 100 earlier in the week, according to the documents.
The current operations surpass China's notable naval deployment in December of last year, which led Taiwan to elevate its alert level.
Tsai Ming-yen, the director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, noted on Wednesday that China is now in a period that is usually the most active for military drills.
As of Wednesday morning, China had four naval formations operating in the western Pacific, and Taiwan is monitoring them closely, Tsai mentioned, without providing further details.
“We must anticipate enemy actions as broadly as possible and stay alert to any changes in related activities,” he stated when asked if China might conduct any new exercises focused on Taiwan before the year's end.
Neither China’s defense ministry nor foreign ministry, nor its Taiwan Affairs Office responded to requests for comments.
Taiwan's Presidential Office spokesperson, Karen Kuo, stated that Taiwan maintains a comprehensive and real-time understanding of the security situation in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas, asserting that “there are no concerns for national security.”